Assassin
by bitchinblackframedglasses
Summary: Sequel to Espionage. Jenny and Draco have started their hunt for Death Eaters. Brian is still missing, and everyone is wondering if Jenny just might have gone slightly mad...rated T for a reason. Draco/OC Dark story!
1. Assassin

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter, the fabulous J.K. Rowling does. But, all of the characters I created (Brian, Jenny, etc.) are totally mine.**

_Assassin, a Harry Potter Fanfiction, Sequel to Espionage_

Assassin:  one who kills someone, usually a prominent figure(s) either for money or for their own reasons; Monetary, fanatical, etc.

**ADOPTION FORM NO. 54B**

_Ministry of Magic_

Parents: Remus J. Lupin (father), Nymphadora L. Tonks (mother)

Childs Name: Jennifer (Jenny) Quinty

Sex: Female

Height: 5'6''

Weight: 102 pounds

Hair Color: Blond

Eye Color: blue/green

Blood Status: _**Unknown**_

Jenny

4/20/11

2:30 a.m.

I paced silently in front of our tent, occasionally glancing at the sky, frustrated and still fiercely angry and sad. I had found a Muggle town, found a military base, and with Draco's help and magic, managed to steal _lots_ of weaponry. I made a huge pile of it, and Draco simply shrunk it and filled his pockets.

We never talked anymore; well, I couldn't talk to him. I knew he was patiently waiting for me to talk, he would always look at me carefully and politely; he was such a gentleman. I couldn't express my hatred anymore, nor my grief. Those emotions were driving me crazy, I knew that much. I couldn't sleep at night, picturing my friends and first adoptive family falling under flashes of green light. Then my thoughts would turn to Brian. Did they kill him somewhere else? Was he their prisoner, and if so, why? He was a Muggle, like me, ordinary and not at all useful. I turned as the flap to the tent opened, and Draco poked his head out, then sighed when he saw me.

"Can't sleep?" He asked, and I nodded lightly, returning my gaze to the sky, my mind thinking in strange and eccentric patterns until I reached a conclusion totally unrelated to my previous thoughts. For the first time in almost three days, I spoke.

"Draco, do you remember when you wanted to kill all the Death Eaters for torturing me, and I told you that I didn't want you to become a killer for me?" I asked, and he slowly let out his breath. I could tell he had been thinking about it, now that I had turned hypocritical and psychotic, insisting that I needed to kill the Death Eaters with my bare hands.

"Yes, I do." He said simply. "And that feeling hasn't gone away." It was my turn to breathe out, but mine was sharp. I hadn't been expecting that; I thought for sure that no one else could feel the intense need to murder people like I did, unless they were crazy. I always knew he was a good fit for me.

"I want to head out tomorrow and start. We can go in the Ministry and kill two at a time, Disapparate and then kill two more a few hours later. Only Death Eaters, but if we can kill more now, the less Harry, Hermione and Ron will have to kill later. I know that all of them took part in it somehow." Draco sighed, and I waited for him to tell me (again) that I was crazy.

Instead, he said, "Do you have a list?" It took me a minute to process, but then I felt a tiny smile raise my lips.

"Bellatrix, Kingsley, Travers, Rodolphus, Avery, Wormtail, Dolohov, Rookwood…anyone I can get my hands on." I listed slowly, but I still felt like I was missing people. At this point, I knew I probably would kill anyone with the Dark Mark on their forearm, I was that far gone.

"What will you do once we actually kill them? You know this won't bring them back, your past friends and family. I'm sorry, Jenny, but I don't want you to hurt yourself anymore than they already have." Draco insisted quickly, raising his hands as I turned quickly on the spot in anger. It faded as soon as I saw his face. Guilt rose in me. That was the second time in recent history that I had wanted to beat him up.

Suddenly, I was kneeling in the grass, my hands over my face, crying like I had wanted to for the past two weeks, especially when I received the news of the murders. Feeling Draco's arm sneak cautiously around my shoulders only made me feel more guilty. I had probably freaked everyone out, but I felt a need to do this. "I'm sorry, but I can't let them have the satisfaction that they hurt me. I need to stop them from doing it to anyone else." I said finally, and Draco relaxed for the first time since he had told me the bad news.

"Why don't you let me just modify their memories? Do you really need to see them die?" He stopped talking as I nodded slowly, feeling sick, but I knew that if they lived on when my loved ones didn't, I would lose myself again.

"That wouldn't be equal. It has to be equal. And some of them don't deserve to live." I added the last part a bit harshly, but Draco surprised me by nodding.

"Kingsley," he growled under his breath, and I stood up, helping him up and then looking at him for a moment.

"You don't have to help me do this, it's pretty sick, even for me. But do you want to help me kill them? You really don't have to." I said this calmly, standing straight like I hadn't just cried my eyes out intensely for thirty seconds.

"…I think I'll try it. I've always felt like I wanted to harm them, but I don't know if I can kill people like you have. But I daresay that's why I love you." He chuckled under his breath, and it made me feel more in control, like I wasn't going to go off the deep end again.

"We are quite the pair, aren't we?" I said, and Draco chuckled again, but I pressed on. "Thank you. For everything, dealing with me, my sensitivity and just now psychotic-ness-" He stopped my words with a gentle kiss that made my lips burn as he pulled away.

"I don't think I couldn't stop 'dealing with you' if I tried." He said almost huskily, sending a shiver up my spine. I raised an eyebrow, feeling a wicked grin cross my face. Only Draco could get me from crying and feeling like a psychotic/assassin to be to in the mood for the first time in months.

"There's hope for me yet, I thought I was crazy feeling like I could never stop dealing with _you."_ Draco pulled back a little with a mock affronting glance.

"Me? What could possibly be wrong with _me?_" Draco said innocently, then smiled wolfishly, lifting me up and carrying me back inside the tent, then plopped me down on the couch. He hesitated, and in that moment, I stretched out, arching my back until Draco made a strangled sort of noise. "Good Salazar, Jenny, you are so beautiful." He said finally, and the husky tone was back. I stopped in mid-stretch and smiled lazily.

"That's always good to hear," I drawled, sitting up slowly, then seizing Draco's collar and pulling him closer. He lightly straddled me and started kissing down my neck as I lightly kissed and nibbled at his ear. "Wait, Draco wait." I said after his fingers made their way down to my collar. My heart twanged as he immediately stopped, but stayed hovered above me so that our noses were just about touching. "Dear Draco, what would your mother say?" I whispered, suddenly terrified of his mother. Draco froze too. He and I had both gotten a long winded lecture from her when she finally agreed to let him sleep in the same bed as me for comfort as I healed from my maladventure to the Manor. She had been fierce, terrifying, and undeniable.

"Shit," Draco groaned, and backed off. I sat up and he sat next to me. "She'd probably scalp me." Draco admitted after a moment, and I took his hand, rubbing his knuckles.

"I think combined Lupin, Tonks, the Trio, basically all of the Weasley's would kill you. Lupin made it quite clear himself." I scowled at the last part. As soon as I agreed to be in their family, he took the whole 'fatherly business' to new heights.

"Damn it," We said simultaneously, and after a moment, I couldn't stop laughing. His laugh joined mine, and we were almost harmonious.

"What to do, what to do," Draco said finally as we sat on the couch, weighing the risks silently.

"Well, we could do what we want to, but then we'd have to do something serious to appease your mother over that."

"She'd insist that we get married, she's so old fashioned when it comes to that sort of thing. And no offense, Jenny, but there is no way in hell I'm marrying you." He looked scared right after he said it, but I chuckled and leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"I couldn't marry you either, not in a million years." We both lapsed into relieved silence.

"We could always go back the crazy route and plan more for tomorrow's massacre." Draco said snidely.

"Was that a hint of sarcasm, dear?" I asked mockingly, and he threw a pillow at me. He got up and started to cross to his bunk.

"Forgive me for exercising my sar-" He whirled around as I nailed him perfectly in the back of the head with a pillow. With an irritated growl, he ran back to the couch as I vaulted over it. We stood there for a moment, each with a pillow in hand. Almost together, we both jumped at the same time. I was a little ahead, so I crashed into him and we both fell his side off of the couch and onto the floor, pummeling each other with our pillows. "Ow, damn it-" Draco started when I smacked the back of his head again, and made an irritated noise. "Even when you are annoying you are beautiful." He said, and I stopped.

"Well that was sappy. Is that the-hey!" I cried when he grinned devilishly and whapped me with his pillow as I was at the moment, not hitting him repeatedly.

"Was that a moment of weakness, Jenny?" He called mockingly, and then ducked as I chucked a pillow at his head.

"Was that your attempt at being a romantic spinster in our love-hate relationship?" I fired back, then snuck silently around him and seized both of his arms, making him start in surprise. I kissed his neck as he stiffened in defeat. We both knew that (through several more intense fights than the one we had just partaken in) I was stronger than him at wrestling and would kick his arse no matter what. "Is this a moment of weakness, Draco?" I whispered in his ear, then kissed it, letting my teeth lightly graze his earlobe, making him shudder slightly.

"If it is, I don't mind." He said quietly. I continued kissing the sides of his neck. "We should just ignore everyone and do what we want. I'm quite comfortable." Draco chuckled as I stopped kissing his neck for a moment.

"Comfortable? You're trapped, in case you had forgotten." I said lightly, tightening my grip ever so slightly on his arms and rested my head on his shoulder. When he didn't answer I started to laugh. I let go and walked around to face him. "And perhaps you've also forgotten the large mob that will come after us if we do." Draco sighed.

"Off to bed then, _dear._" He said in a snidely fashion once more, making me smack his arm as we picked up all the pillows on the floor, then went to our own bunks in the tent.

**Yay for fluff. :D**


	2. Assassin 2

Assassin

_She's an assassin_

_She's an assassin_

_She's an assassin_

_She's an assassin and she had a job to do_

Jenny

4/21/11

3:30 a.m.

We woke up early, all of our playful happiness gone. The need to avenge them all, to get revenge had not faded inside of me, it was a hot heavy feeling I carried everywhere, even in my dreams. We both watched the massive pile of supplies for awhile before I forced myself to go over to the pile of clothing. I wanted to be able to sneak around, so while we were at the military base, I stole some of the plain black jumpsuits that fit me like a glove. All of the jumpsuits had convenient strips of cloth around the ankles and wrists that could hold all sorts of weapons. After putting on a few holsters, I turned to the weapons. I suited up silently, then added knives, as many guns as I felt comfortable with, then all the ammo I had room for without being stiff.

Everything had to be muffled so that it wouldn't give me away. Draco only carried a knife and his wand. Both of us were extremely pale and seemed to communicate silently and with loaded glances. He Disillusioned me silently, then kissed my cheek as it faded away. We walked outside of the tent and its protection, then Apparated to the main entrance to the Ministry. With some effort, Draco Disillusioned himself and then we simply walked inside.

I took his hand and walked him down the hallways. We were both totally silent as I stalked towards the first office I wanted, Sturgis Podmore's. The Minister's. If any Death Eaters were going to be in the Ministry, they would come to the Minister's office sooner or later. No one was paying much attention in the hallway, and after a quick listen at the door, I opened it and pulled Draco and I inside. I could hear voices upstairs, but the first floor of his office was silent and empty. "Maybe you don't understand us, Minister." I froze at the sound of Bellatrix Lestrange's voice.

_Bellatrix watched the pain in my eyes with satisfaction as she started towards me with the vial full of Veratisereum. I was backed into a corner, no place to go, sore and bleeding. The room felt like it was turning slowly around me as she began to draw out every movement, uncorking the bottle, setting down the cork…she reached for me then stopped, a sick grin filling her face. "Imperio!" She said, and I was suddenly floating. "Drink this. Drink this Veratisereum." Her voice floated over to me, and my hand started to lift without my permission. A tiny spot in my brain filled with fear and hate. I couldn't drink it, I couldn't tell her- my hand shuddered to a halt. "DRINK." I couldn't deny her voice any longer, I was forced to drink-_

"_Jenny!"_ Draco hissed in my ear, and I snapped into reality. Bellatrix and Rodolphus were coming down the stairs after the Minister. I bent down and silently undid a gun and screwed on a silencer. Almost like he could see me, Draco whispered in my ear, "_I'll Stun the Minister, unless you want to kill him too." _

"_Immobilize them, will you?"_ I whispered after not finding a way to kill all of them without asking questions. They would hex me or kill me before I could fire one shot. Instantly, all three of them froze, and Draco seemed to read my mind; he lifted his Disillusionment charm on me, making strange expressions cross the Lestrange's faces, a mix of a sneer and surprise. The Minister just looked shocked as Draco silenced all of them, then plucked their wands out of their hands. "Bellatrix, Rodolphus. Minister." I greeted them all with mock politeness. The gun felt heavy and dangerous in my hand as I strode over to Bellatrix first.

"Do you know what this is, Bellatrix? This is what Muggles use to kill each other." I lifted the gun up for her inspection when her eyes took it in and all of the other weapons on my body. "I'll make this quick…did you help murder my family and friends, Bellatrix, Rodolphus?" I paced in-between them, itching to just end their lives. Bellatrix's face filled with a sneer. That sneer sent hot anger racing to my head, igniting my short temper. I turned and with only a tiny click, thanks to the silencer, shot the Minister right in the forehead. He fell silently to the floor, and I looked at him a moment, my head ringing slightly.

I had killed someone in cold blood for no reason. I had killed Greyback out of self-defense, and the Snatchers to protect my friends, but my first kill just because felt evil. I kept my face clean as I turned back to the sick couple in front of me. "Goodbye, Bellatrix, Rodolphus. This isn't for me, this is for my family." I shot Rodolphus first, and the pain and grief in Bellatrix's eyes (along with hate) replaced the guilt with a sort of sick satisfaction.

"Is this what Brian would want?" Bellatrix said, and I realized Draco had dropped his charms, why, I didn't know. I paused, my gun still pointed to the spot right between her brows.

"Brian is dead, you helped kill him," I snarled, but she shook her head, an evil grin starting to grow on her face.

"You sparked an interest in the Dark Lord, Muggle. Your precious _Brian_ may turn out to be just as useful as you were." She started to laugh, but in an intense moment of rage, I pulled the trigger. With another tiny pop, Bellatrix fell too. The door opened, and a little flunky came in, looking through some papers, not seeing the mess. Draco immobilized him when he looked up in shock when I moved. I strode over to him, lightly took his chin. I scrutinized him for a moment, feeling the weight of my plaited hair against my back, with stones braided in. I could kill this man a million different ways.

"My name is Jenny Quinty. I am a Muggle and a werewolf, bitten by Fenrir Greyback. I was also a spy for a resistance group against Lord Voldemort." The man let out a little whimper in fear, but I ignored it. "Send him my regards." I said coldly, and then, like magic, Draco Disillusioned me. He pulled me through the hallways faster than when we had come in, and I let him.

I felt good, yet terrible at the same time. I knew Bellatrix and Rodolphus had helped, and that Sturgis Podmore was a Death Eater, and that he had killed people. All of them had deserved what they had gotten, Bellatrix especially. But her words were stuck in my brain. She had said that Brian could be useful to Voldemort as I had…what did she mean? Did that mean he was still alive?

I didn't even notice the Apparation, but suddenly we were standing outside of out tent, and Draco was re-casting protective spells, no longer invisible. He un-Disillusioned me and we just looked at each other for a moment. "You would be a great Slytherin, you know that?" He asked after a while. I chuckled weakly. Last time he had said that, I had slapped him full across the face.

"Draco, I just murdered three people in front of you, and you compliment me." I said sardonically. He took my shoulders, looking slightly pissed off.

"Jenny, don't you ever listen? I told you that I didn't care, hell, that I _approved._ I'm going to help you, no matter what. What you did wasn't necessarily right, but it was damn well justified." He smiled and I did too. He gave me a huge hug, and we just stood there for awhile. _"Evanesco."_ He said when we broke apart, and any blood spatter on me vanished. "Come on," he said lightly, and we both went back inside the tent.

Voldemort

4/21/10

8:23a.m.

"_What did you say?"_ I hissed, my grip tightening on the armrests of the chair. The tiny little man in front of me trembled pathetically as he mumbled to the floor.

"A Jenny Quinty claming to be a Muggle, a werewolf, and a spy s-sends her regards."

"And she was the one to kill The Minster and the Lestranges?" I said softly, in disbelief. I still had not known what had happened to the Malfoy's and the Muggle after they went out to kill her and never returned. It seemed that I had underestimated their weakness and her strength. Using only Muggle weapons, she killed three people in revenge, out of desire. The man nodded to the floor, trembling. I killed him instantly as my rage exploded. It was impossible that a filthy pathetic Muggle could kill my best lieutenant and her husband, the two most loyal Death Eaters to ever enter my service.

"Rookwood!" I snarled, and the door opened. Rookwood kept his eyes down.

"Yes, my Lord?" He asked calmly enough, but I could feel his fear.

"I have a new purpose for the Muggle in the cellar. A spy no longer is appropriate. He is skilled as she was, correct?"

"Y-yes, my Lord." Rookwood stuttered.

"Train him as an assassin for us. If Jenny Quinty thinks she can get revenge by killing my Death Eaters, then her boyfriend can hunt her down and kill her."


	3. Bulletproof

Bulletproof

_are you bulletproof _

_are you bulletproof_

_sign sign you're love away._

_are you bulletproof_

_are you bulletproof_

_How many pieces are you gonna come back in?_

Lupin

4/22/11

1:08 p.m.

"_Sacre bleu! Oh mon dieu! Elle fait, je l'ai fait! __Putain de merde!" _Fleur came running into the kitchen where most of the house was depressingly sipping coffee and staring at the walls. After Jenny had taken off, the house hadn't accepted that she had gone. We had nothing to do with ourselves, and I missed the sound of her clear voice coming from upstairs, or laughing in the kitchen. Bill stood up in surprise.

"Fleur? What's wrong?" Bill asked worriedly. Everyone had started to worry as soon as Jenny had sworn a murderous revenge, but hoped that Draco would talk her out of it. Fleur slapped down _The Quibbler_ with a shaking hand.

**3 MURDERS: THE MINISTER AND THE LESTRANGES**

**WHO IS BEHIND IT, AND WHAT IS TO COME?**

"Good lord," Tonks breathed, staring at the paper, bouncing Teddy on her hip. Teddy sucked on some of her hair and stared at the magazine, his hair turning the sick green that the print was in.

"Could it be a coincidence?" Lucius asked carefully, as I seized the magazine and flipped through it to the stories page. There was a moment of silence as I hurriedly read through the drama and my fists clenched as I read the detailed information.

"No," I said softly, my eyes zeroing in on the words '_Muggle weapons_'. "It was definitely her. She shot all three of them with a Muggle gun. It uses a kind of powder and spark to push a piece of metal at a deadly speed. It sounds harmless, but it works. Look," I flopped it back down on the table. The page was full of pictures of the bodies-all of them had a single hole right between their brows, and nothing more. Their wands were gone, and there was blood all over the floor. "She actually did it," I breathed.

"How did she do it? How the _hell_," Bill seized the paper, "Did she get into the Ministry and kill three people without anyone noticing?"

"Disillusionment Charm. Arthur would put them on her whenever she would spy. Draco must have gone along to cast any magic necessary." Tonks said sharply, looking at the article with a cold expression. Silence descended on the kitchen.

"Jenny killed three people, the most important people to Voldemort, but in cold blood." Bill swallowed loudly after what he said. "She did it with _Muggle_ weapons, in the Ministry of Magic for Merlin's sake. If she can do that, how many more will she go after?"

Brian

4/23/11

2:16 a.m.

"Now you listen here, filth," the man hissed in my face, putting his hands on his hips, leaning down to get in my face. "I've been training you as to how put your worthless existence into classified areas, also known as spying. However, the Dark Lord has changed his mind." I glared at him silently. He hadn't trained me at all, he had just waved his wand around and made me feel pain I've never felt before.

His fist connected with my face, and if he hadn't 'magically' tied me to the chair I was in, I would have flown out of it. "Pay attention, you worthless Muggle." He said dangerously. "Now, we know that you can fight and hurt people…which will get you nowhere in your new mission. I think you'll find that your target is evenly matched, if not better than you."

My mind whirled. _Target?_ That made it sound like- "Yes, I can see that brain of yours is actually working-you'll be trained to kill our enemies. There is one in particular who is responsible for three murders and is quite…formidable. Get up." He waved his stick and the invisible force keeping me tied down vanished, and I quickly stood. I had learned to obey anyone, and to obey them quickly. "You will travel with Shacklebolt, and carry these weapons. Listen," He seized my chin, making me freeze. He tapped his wand on a piece of cloth and it vanished. Underneath it was a huge pile of knives and a few dangerous looking swords. "If you're stupid enough to think that you can use these on _anyone_ in the ranks…"

He seized a knife and drew it harshly across his forearm, where there was a dark skull tattoo with snakes coming out of its mouth. To my shock, nothing happened, not even a line from pushing the blade into and across his skin. But that wasn't possible… "And that will happen to anyone in my ranks, you understand? Good, you're leaving." He pointed his wand at me and I flinched, expecting the pain I was used to, but instead, my tattered and slightly bloody clothing changed into a plain t-shirt and pants, some kind of combat boot (black, of course), and the large dark robes everyone I had ever seen at the kidnapping wore…

_No one spoke as a slight breeze rustled the grass. For April, it was lovely outside, with a deep blue sky and huge puffy clouds that seemed to expand across the horizon. The grass was still slightly brown from winter, but green was quickly lacing through it. As my eyes traveled further, they landed on the large piece of stone._

_**In loving memory of Jennifer Quinty**_

_My stomach clenched, it always did. I had called her, knowing that she was home alone, and offered to come over, which she accepted gratefully. Her voice had been so full of life; she always got excited when she was cooking. When I had gotten there…seeing the large cracks in the doors, they had obviously been kicked open, then the kitchen, __covered__ in blood… My only comfort was that, according to the police, that she had made two of the men that killed her bleed. _

_I wished there was a body, something I could say goodbye to. Something that could help the police catch the men who did it. Jenny's adoptive mother started to weep when loud pops filled the air, making us turn. A large mass of people, all wearing dark hooded robes and masks were suddenly surrounding us, having seemingly appeared from thin air. "Which one of you is Brian?" A deep voice said scathingly. _

"_Who wants to know?" My father said strongly, putting a hand on my shoulder protectively, glaring at these people as they came in closer, raising what looked like sticks. A shrieking laugh echoed around the sunny space, and it was definitely female, and definitely crazy._

"_Let's end this, Shacklebolt." The female voice hissed, and then green lights were flashing everywhere as I suddenly couldn't move as two people picked me up. Where ever the green light touched the mourners: my family, Jenny's family, all our friends…they crumpled, and I could tell they were dead. _

A smack brought me back to reality, and I stumbled only for a moment before my karate training made me catch my balance. I was suddenly loaded down with all sorts of dangerous weapons, they felt wrong on me. I felt like some stupid ninja from a crappy action film. "Come, Muggle. We're leaving."

"Do not fail us, Shacklebolt." A high chilling voice hissed as the man pushed me through a fine and elaborate hall, towards two double doors. I tucked the name into my memory. If I ever got out of this, names would be useful. An African American man with huge muscles and an ear piercing took my upper arm firmly as the man I had come to hate, the one who 'trained' me handed it to him.

"My Lord, I will bring back a body, if you so desire." Then, I was drowning, crushed in a black space with no air, light or sound… Suddenly, my feet were back on ground, and my stomach was rolling. A kick to the ribs got me moving quickly to stand up properly. "Stupid Muggle…now, what do you see?" The deep voice asked. I looked around hastily, trying to keep my face blank.

We were in a thick forest, and the sun was slowly going down, in a tiny clearing, no bigger than a kiddie-pool, and the forest seemed dark and dangerous around us. "A woods. Sir." I added quickly when he raised his wand. He looked thoughtful for a moment, and then lowered his wand.

"The young woman we are after is a freak. She is a werewolf, and don't give me that stupid look." He said sharply. "If you are stupid enough to think that they don't exist you are sorely mistaken. This is the only woods left in Britain that she hasn't been to. She's traveling with her partner, and he can use magic. She can't."

"So she's like me? Sir?" I added again quickly, and Shacklebolt smiled a strange smile that made my stomach clench.

"I think you'll see in time. Now, she and her partner will come out from behind protective magical barriers before the moon comes out to change her. When she has finished for the night, you will kill her, and I will get her partner." My stomach clenched tighter. If I didn't kill this woman, what would happen to me? I could only hope that the mysterious woman's partner would kill Shacklebolt, so that I could get away.

Jenny

4/23/11

6:57 p.m.

I let the Quibbler fall, feeling deep satisfaction at what I had done. At first, I would have thought that these murders would sicken me, and I'd back out. But thankfully, I hadn't, and was determined to get the next person on my list: Kingsley. I would have gone today, but my 'furry little problem' as Draco liked to call it was conveniently tonight. I had drunk my potion; all I had to do was wait for the moon to rise.

"I'm coming with you. I remember the last time I let you go out alone. I'll stay with you all night." Draco swore, putting a hand on his hip and glaring at me when I raised an eyebrow. I stared into his beautiful silver eyes a moment.

"You're more paranoid than I am. Come on, Draco, this is a place we have never been before-"

"_Exactly._ Plus, if we're being tracked, there might be agents here. Now that we've, well, _you've _killed Death Eaters, He'll want revenge." I sighed.

"Alright, you can come. I know this is partly because you just like the rides." I joked trying to lighten the mood, and Draco's flush certainly finished the job. I peeked out of the tent and went over to our weapons pile and pushed a knife into Draco's hand, then shoved one down his boot, then one up his sleeve. "Just in case…we should go." I said as I didn't move, and my closeness to him started to make my skin heat. I led the way out, and Draco linked my arm and holding his wand steady, walked me a little ways into the woods, and I stripped down behind a bush as the moon started to break through the clouds…

Kingsley

4/23/11

7:02 p.m.

The boy stiffened and I smiled a triumphant smile as footsteps stopped, and then a long eerie wolf howl echoed around the forest. I had told the worthless Muggle all about how werewolves needed a potion to tell them who they were, and I could see by his face that he was scared shitless. This night couldn't go by fast enough. I had caught Jenny Quinty once, and I was certainly going to take pleasure in watching her ex-boyfriend do it for me this time.


	4. The World As We Know It

The World As We Know It

_Can't run away from fate that's something we all know_

_no matter how much you try_

_you'll still have no place left to go_

_but you know that just won't do_

_but you know that just won't do_

Jenny

4/24/11

9:42 a.m.

As a wolf, I didn't go anywhere last night, out of a safety concern of Draco's. Instead, I stayed curled up on the forest floor, my tail almost completely incasing Draco like a giant fuzzy sleeping bag. It kept him warm _and_ hidden. If anyone tried to curse me as a wolf, (a stupid idea that probably wouldn't happen) he would jinx them into the next century when the spell bounced off of my coat, which seemed to repel every kind of spell.

In the morning, I detached myself from Draco, flushing, considering I was naked, and quickly dressed, then stretched. Even though I didn't even walk around as a wolf, I was still slightly sore. But I was pleased, my voice was barely hoarse-I had only howled once, and that was to scare away any other forest creatures I didn't want to fight with. I quickly re-braided my hair back into its plait, including the rocks, just in case. Then I stretched, prodding Draco as I bent down to touch my toes, my back to the forest. He muttered something along the lines of 'bloody Keeper' and shifted a little. I prodded him again as I stretched to one side, and he shot up, wand pointed in my face. I raised an eyebrow, not moving an inch until the craziness vanished from his eyes.

"Merlin, you scared me," He muttered, and I gave him a hand and went to help him up when I heard it, the whirring of something flying through the air…I shoved him back down, leapt up and seized what happened to be a knife out of midair and landed on my feet, weapon raised as spells started to fly from the bushes at Draco, who leapt up and started jinxing the shit out of the bush. I rolled behind a log just in time as another knife almost cut off my leg. Behind the log, I wiped dirt on my face. Usually I was Disillusioned for a fight, and since I couldn't see my attacker, I needed all the camouflage I could get, especially if the fight continued into the bracken of the forest.

I sprang up and quickly tucked my knees to my chest as a knife immediately whizzed out in response. I tucked and rolled, snatched the knife in the log, and chucked it in the direction the knives were coming from, causing something to jump out of the way in the bushes to my left. As I started to run forward, a being in black, with a Death Eater mask flipped out and started slinging knives like there was no tomorrow, forcing me to block them with the one knife I had left in my hand, ducking and twisting.

_Holy shit, this person is good, almost as good as me! How did a Death Eater learn such a Muggle sport?_ After successfully ducking until his knives were gone, my attacker pulled a very long and sharp looking sword off his back, and as he ran forward. I seized a knife next to me and we met somewhere in the middle. My mind snapped back to karate fights, and after some punching and kicking from the both of us, we got down to just fists and feet. I could hear bangs and shouts of spells from yards away, Draco and his assailant had moved farther downward, back towards the campsite. Thinking about that made me realize something strange- the Death Eaters had sent almost a _ninja_ after me, and a wizard after Draco. Why? Why not just send two wizards and kill us easier?

The 'ninja' and I fought bitterly, he was skilled, like me, but I could tell from kicking him in the ribs that he was as weak as I was. And that made no sense whatsoever. If this 'ninja' was a Death Eater, why would he be so underfed? I tried looking closely at his face, but the mask was impenetrable. In spinning jumps and kicks, we would nail each other well, and we were fighting hard for an advantage. I would slam him across the clearing into a tree, and then he would send me flying into a bush. Finally, as he went to punch my ear, I seized the front of him and flipped him over my head, body slamming him with gravity, then I whirled around, seizing a knife and getting the edge of it just under his chin as he went to get back up. "You'll never guess who's here, Jenny." Draco called, and my ninja seemed to stiffen.

"Enlighten me." I said frostily, never taking my eyes off the ninja, just in case.

"_Mobilicorpus." _I heard Draco mutter, and he came into view, and floating in front of him, like a grotesque puppet was a Stunned Kingsley, making my cold demeanor fall off instantly, replaced with slight fear, but mostly hate. "And you?" He asked, gesturing to the ninja, who was still stiff under his own blade. The tip was right on his Adam's apple, just resting there, but willing to kill him at a seconds notice. His lips parted, and I noticed a slight gap between his two front teeth.

"You can do the honors." I resumed my cold, uncaring façade as Draco slashed his wand, making the ninja flinch, and the mask dissolve away, making me drop the knife in shock on his chest. Brian's chest was still heaving from our fight, and his face was pale, sunken and bruised, but he was most definitely alive. "Oh-my-god," I whispered, taking a step back, our eyes locked.

"Jenny? What's the matter?" Draco raised his wand as Brian went to prop himself up, and he flinched, freezing.

"_Brian?"_ I whispered, quickly wiping the mud away from my face, clearing it for him. His eyes seemed to widen further. Draco looked at me sharply. Brian swallowed and nodded, making the movement small as Draco set his gaze back on him. I went to move forward, but Draco cut me off.

"Jenny, we don't know if he's an enemy." He said, and I snorted.

"Draco, if you couldn't tell from his face, I doubt he was among the Death Eater's by choice. And he flinches whenever you point your wand at him. I can't believe it. I bet they did _exactly_ what they did to me to him." I strode away a little, and then paced angrily. "I can't believe it," I murmured, then spun on my heel and marched back to Draco and Brian, feeling my eyes flash as my anger increased. "Did they torture you, Brian? Did they drug you, hit you?" I asked, sharper than I meant, and he nodded again, starting to look angry himself as he realized that 'they did exactly what they did to me to him' meant that I had gotten the same treatment somehow, even though I was supposed to be dead.

"Jenny, I thought you were dead. We all did. What-" Draco stepped forward to put his wand under his chin. I made an irritated noise and pushed him back by the shoulder, seized Brian's wrist, clasped it, and pulled him to his feet.

"Look. If he wanted to kill me, he could have already snapped my neck." I insisted, not moving from my position in front of Brian. Draco hesitated, and then lowered his wand.

"We need to move, they'll be missed. _Avada Kedavra."_ Draco snapped, and with a flash of green light, I knew Kingsley was dead. I heard Brian flinch behind me at the display of magic. "Come on, then," he said, and started to walk back towards the tent. I turned around and motioned Brian forward, and I followed him over and through the protective spells after Draco transfigured Kingsley's body into a rock. I felt not a speck of remorse or guilt. He deserved what he got, just like the Minister and the Lestranges. That was now three Death Eaters for me, and one for Draco. "The Minister and the Lestranges are dead, and now Kingsley is too. Jenny and I are fine, try not to worry too much. We miss Teddy, and all of you." Draco said, then, "_Expecto Patronum!"_ A large wolf came from his wand with a long pelt, making me flush, realizing it was me. It took off across the sky as Draco waved his wand again, making the tent shrink. He put it in his pocket as Brian watched me and the magic with large eyes.

"Can you take all of us?" I asked, and he only nodded curtly, offering his arm. I linked with him, then linked with Brian without thinking twice, despite his flinch. The Apparation took less than a second, and we came out in the middle of a misty moor. Brian staggered, and I snaked my arm out and steadied him as Draco started setting up protective spells. "Brian, look at me," I said calmly, and after a deep breath and a shudder, he straightened. "Are you alright?" I asked, and he was suddenly hugging me. I shook my head at Draco as he turned, ready to hex him. Frowning, Draco set up the tent as I lightly returned the gesture, then ushered him inside.

"I can't believe you're alive." Brian croaked as I hastily started a pot of tea.

"It's kind of a long story. This is Draco, my boy—my friend, my partner. My _best _friend." I emphasized, feeling my face turning red and my brain sputter as I realized how awkward this was going to be. "He won't hurt you." I shot him a look as he rolled his eyes, sticking his wand in his pocket and accepting a cup of tea. I handed one to Brian, then grabbed myself one and sat down.

"How, _how_ are you alive? There was so much blood-" Brian swallowed, and I felt my skin pale. Draco shivered. He still blamed himself for my werewolf-ness, and I'm sure Lupin did too, even though I didn't.

"Well…remember the girl I told you about, Hermione? How I thought she was getting a laugh off of telling me that stupid word? Erm, well, it worked. Two Death Eaters showed up at my house, just a random pick. That word saved my life."

"But Shacklebolt said that you were a werewolf, that's impossible. I only knew it was you when Draco called your name. I didn't see any wolf."

"That's because he didn't know if I was going to be safe. There is a potion people like me can take so that I keep my mind when I transform. Don't worry," I added as his face paled further, "I haven't gone without one in a while." Draco shivered again, and I knew that he was reliving my stupidity with the bear trap.

"But he was crazy, werewolves can't exist." Brian insisted. I sighed, then got up and got a knife off the pile and slit the edges of the jumpsuit around my neck, rolling them down. Brian gasped as the first bite appeared, then jumped up when I rolled it down past my shoulders. Some real wolf bites were visible with some scratches, and then my most prominent three out of four bites from Greyback were standing out strongly as usual.

"That blood in the kitchen was from a werewolf biting me repeatedly, as a human, but it was close enough to a full moon to change me. I have another one on my side. The bigger bites and scratches are from a fight with another werewolf. He knew who he was, he's one of my closest friends, pretty much my father now, but I hadn't taken a potion, there wasn't enough to go around. I attacked him." I finished in a softer voice, rolling back up the jumpsuit and sitting back down on the couch with Draco. Brian's eyes were huge, but I continued anyway. "The man who bit me gave me a chance to stab him, so I did. I killed him, and injured his partner, who later joined the Order and has helped us ever since. He was our spy." I stretched the truth, and felt Draco stiffen slightly, but not enough for Brian to notice, who was gaping at me.

"Draco killed Shacklebolt, didn't he? And _you're_ the one responsible for the three murders?" He asked, and for the first time, I felt shame at his scared face before I pushed it away.

"When I heard about what the Death Eaters, people like Shacklebolt and the people I killed had done to my family, your family, all of our friends…and that you were missing…I can't sleep at night, not until they get justice." Brian grimaced, rubbing his shoulder from where I had probably kicked him as hard as I could.

"Well, I can't say that it isn't justified." Brian sighed and took a gulp of tea.

"I'm assuming that when the Death Eaters came to my memorial service, they kidnapped you. Then…?" I prodded gently, and Brian sighed, setting down his tea.

"They kidnapped me alright. Then they told me everything, about magic, wands, their world…but I didn't believe them. I thought they were raving lunatics, to be honest. But I couldn't figure out how I could feel so much pain without having been drugged, or without them using anything but their wands. They were training me to be a spy." I set my tea down harder than necessary, making him raise an eyebrow.

"When I obviously couldn't come home because of my werewolf-ness, the Order took me in; made me one of their spies. Those fucking bastards. They were going to have you kill me, weren't they? That is so _fucking_ sick, I'm going to hunt him down and-"

"_Enough_, Jenny." Draco chuckled at my glare and took a drink of his tea. He looked very pleased with himself for killing Kingsley. I felt slight jealousy; it would have been great to do it myself.

"When the word about the three murders came in, they changed their mind. They already knew that I could be their assassin at the present, so we left right away. Somehow they knew you would be where you were…we waited until we could hear voices, and then Shacklebolt told me to attack. I didn't even recognize you until you wiped off you face. What's changed, Jenny?" Brian pressed, setting down his tea as I seized mine to occupy my hands.

"I'll talk if you eat something." I said after he stared at me for almost a minute as I watched my tea swirling in my cup. He sighed, then started as Draco flicked his wand to Summon some of our supplies. Once I knew Brian was gnawing on a piece of jerky, I spoke softly. "Well, I'm a werewolf now, and an assassin. I'm killing Death Eaters. How did I get to murdering people?" I asked for Brian, who had paled at my mention of the assassinations. He nodded. "While I was a spy for the Order, Kingsley Shacklebolt, who was in charge, lost his cool when I protected him," I jerked my head at Draco, who smiled sheepishly, "from his 'interrogation'. He tried to hurt me, so they kicked him out. He joined the Death Eaters, and after one night after being a wolf, he kidnapped me." Brian made an angry noise in his throat, and Draco stiffened. I had sworn when I told him and everyone at Shell Cottage the story, that I would never tell it again.

"He took me to the Death Eaters headquarters, his house. They had forced his family into it and taken over their house. I was there for almost a month." I limply gestured to Draco.

"_A month?"_ Brian snarled. I sighed and looked at him. "I was there for about a week, maybe more. How the hell did you survive?" His face was twisted, and Draco was looking from him to me, obviously thinking I had left something out, and wondering what the hell they did to me, specifically. I knew he would only ask Brian later, so I caved.

"There was torture, magical and good old fashioned beatings, and force feedings of Veratisereum, a drug that looks like water, but makes you spill your secrets. You can't remember what they asked you, and you can never lie. I wouldn't tell them anything under torture, so they used it…a lot." My nose tingled, a sure sign I was going to cry soon, so I focused that grief and pain towards my effort to kill more Death Eaters. Both men in my presence looked like they wanted to interrupt, so I continued.

"The night of the full moon, they gave me to Draco's parents who were still trapped there, and told them to Apparate somewhere and kill me. Instead, I told them of a safe house of the Order's and they took me there. They saved my life."

"That's it," Brian stood up, his expression stormy. "They did it to you, me, and everyone we ever loved. I'm helping you kill these bastards, no matter what it takes."


	5. Temper Temper

Temper Temper

_Temper, temper_

_I never wanted to be_

_Temper, temper_

_I never wanted to be_

_Mr., Mr._

_I can't hold it in._

Lupin

4/24/11

10:32 p.m.

Tonks and I sat alone on the rocks overlooking the sea. Fleur had taken Teddy for awhile, leaving us time to think. "I still can't believe it. Jenny doesn't seem like that kind of person. I'm worried, Remus. If she's angry and hurt enough to be killing people…she needs help." Tonks said quietly. I put an arm around her and let her lean on me for a moment while I gathered my thoughts.

"I'm worried about what she will do if she manages to kill as many as she can. If Voldemort doesn't fall from power, I feel like she will never be safe. The Ministry certainly won't protect her, a Muggle werewolf…and now a murderer." I shivered at that word. "However, I don't blame her for wanting to avenge them. I just wish she wasn't going at it in such a mysterious and dangerous way." I sat up and pulled out my wand as a Patronus that looked just like Jenny as a wolf jumped smoothly over the gate and stopped in front of me.

"The Minister and the Lestranges are dead, and now Kingsley is too. Jenny and I are fine, try not to worry too much. We miss Teddy, and all of you." Draco sounded tired and slightly irritated, but his news made Tonks stand, then help me up as it dissolved into mist. She was biting her lip, but she was starting to smile.

"That's good news, about Kingsley." She sounded very satisfied, and I nodded, realizing that for some sick reason, I was smiling too. And then I realized that this was war. People were going to die, and someday, I would be fighting and trying to do exactly what Jenny was doing, for a better future, for everyone, and for Teddy.

Draco

4/26/11

5:42 a.m.

After Jenny almost force fed Brian for a few days, we took his advice and Apparated to the front of my house from a distance, then walked as far as we could without setting off wards. Then, we settled down to wait. And we didn't have to wait very long. Footsteps were approaching on gravel. I was in between Jenny and Brian, and I could feel their shoulders lightly touching mine as both raised a weapon. I raised my wand as footsteps came closer.

Rookwood and Dolohov were leading an almost dead looking Mr. Ollivander and Luna Lovegood. I Immobilized the Death Eaters as soon as they stepped out of the wards. I couldn't risk them Apparating. Luna jumped as Jenny appeared when I Disillusioned her, then Brian, then, finally, myself. Brian strode right up to Rookwood, who was paling under his furious gaze. Jenny rushed over and supported Mr. Ollivander before he could fall over, then Luna at the same time. She didn't need much; she was in much better shape than Ollivander. "_Jenny!_ I thought you were dead, they took you away, I heard them leave with you—"

"It's alright, Luna. I thought you were dead too…I've missed you both so much. Brian?" She asked as she noticed Brian almost trembling with rage in front of Rookwood.

"This man, no, this _bastard_ was responsible for me." Brian loaded his gun and took the safety off, then raised it to right between his brows. "This isn't for me, this is for my family, and hers." He gestured to Jenny, quoting her, as we had talked about, then pulled the trigger.

"What did you do?" Luna said, curious, as Rookwood keeled over.

"He killed him. It's a Muggle weapon, called a gun. He's helping Jenny and I hunt down Death Eater's like _him,_ I pointed my wand at Dolohov, and kill them. Hurry, if you want to do it, Jenny." I added, and took Ollivander from her as she strode over. Her eyes, as usual when she was angry, were flashing darkly, her face uncaring and unkind as she loaded her gun and placed between Dolohov's brows.

"This is for my family, his family, Draco's family, everyone you helped torture, including Luna and Mr. Ollivander. Oh, and this is for groping me, you sick bastard." With another pop from the silencer, Dolohov fell over. I Disillusioned Brian and Jenny again, then seized Luna, while holding Ollivander and Apparated back to our tent, got them through the protective spells, Apparated back, felt around, grabbed Jenny and Brian and Apparated back. "So who else now? My my, it seems that Voldemort is running out of Death Eaters." Jenny said frostily as she situated Mr. Ollivander on the couch and started piling blankets on him.

"Well, Mulciber and Avery are still around…and Macnair…Nott, Jugson and Crabbe…I think that's it. At least, the one's that I know have been around for awhile, there's no telling how many have recruited now that Voldemort has risen back to power." I said as I jabbed my wand at the tea pot, causing the water to boil.

"He's burning up, but his hands are cold, damn it, if only Mrs. Weasley were here. How are you, Luna?" Jenny dropped her cold demeanor for the first time in weeks as she tore her gaze from Ollivander to her. Despite being pale, sickly and thin, Luna looked reasonably well for someone who had been in the Manor's cellar for most of the year. Jenny took a tea cup from me as I passed it to her and pushed it into Luna's hands, making her sit on the couch.

"_Evanesco," _I pointed my wand at Jenny's back, and then at Brian briefly, and any blood on them vanished. Brian still flinched whenever I used magic, but I really couldn't blame him, especially if Rookwood had been messing with him. That man was a coward, but he had a sick, _sick _mind.

"That felt good…sick and wrong…but good." Brian said sheepishly, looking slightly green as he realized in its entirety what he had done.

"Well, here are two more wands to add to the collection." Jenny at last turned away from Luna and Ollivander and pulled out the two wands from Dolohov and Rookwood. "And no matter what, no matter how wrong it sounds, these Death Eaters need to die. Someone else would have done it eventually, I'm just speeding things along. Having the need for a bit of revenge certainly helps."

"I've said it once, but I'm saying it again: You would have been _fantastic_ in Slytherin." I said, and she kissed my cheek as she passed. Brian raised an eyebrow at her, but she was tending to Ollivander again, and I had turned back around like nothing had happened, adding the wands she had given me to our growing pile of them.

"But we are running out of time…Voldemort will have to start being careful with his best-trained Death Eaters. And if Harry, Ron and Hermione are doing _anything_, something big should happen soon. Everyone is getting tired of just sitting around listening to the deaths being reported in the paper." Jenny said confidently as she added more pillows behind Ollivander. "We should take Mr. Ollivander and you to people who can give you the care you need, and a house to stay in, instead of traveling with us." She said to Luna.

"Do you think that they are honestly still at Shell Cottage?" I asked her. I knew that no one had leaked it's location to Voldemort yet, but it still seemed too easy. Call me paranoid, but _nothing_ was sacred anymore.

"Oh, yes, of course. It's the only place they've got." Jenny said firmly, and so I placed a Warming Charm on Ollivander, and she picked him up. Brian supported Luna, and we went outside of the tent so I could shrink it. After dropping the protective spells, we Apparated to just outside the wards at Shell Cottage, hastily told the directions to Brian and Luna, then walked quickly within.

"Jenny, what did you tell me when I asked you if you were injured anywhere else after your last night without a Wolfsbane Potion?" Lupin's voice held no remorse, and it sent slight comfort in me. At least he wasn't taking any chances.

"That I thought my heart was breaking." Jenny said with a straight face, but I saw her eyes flash for a moment with sadness. "What did I get from the kitchen while you were drinking firewhisky during Tonks' labor?" She fired off right away.

"Dittany. Draco, what did I tell you when your parents brought Jenny to Shell Cottage?" Lupin asked, and I felt Jenny looking at me curiously.

"To be prepared for the worst." I said grimly. "Luna is who she is, we checked, Ollivander is too ill at the moment, and Brian is safe as well." Lupin stepped out from behind a bush, looking paler than ever.

"Jenny, you'll need to get him inside, and Luna, you look like you need some care as well. Please, everyone, come in." Lupin ushered everyone inside the house, calling up the stairs to Tonks, Fleur, the Malfoy's and Bill. The rumble on the stairs ended as quickly as it started, and they streaked into the entrance to the kitchen.

"Gracious, is that Mr. Ollivander? Bring him upstairs." Mum shot me a loving look before darting upstairs, Jenny following. Dad and I hugged quickly, it was not in a Malfoy's way to show emotion much, no matter what the situation.

"Zo _you_ are thees friend of Jenny's?" Fleur asked before awkward silence could fall. I felt a pang of satisfaction. We hadn't really talked about it, Brian didn't show any desires to pick up where he and Jenny left off, and Jenny and I seemed to drift back to carefully controlled 'friends' all on our own.

"Yes, he is." Jenny and Mum were back, and Jenny, after hugging Lupin, Tonks, Dad, Fleur and Bill, came back to stand next to me. "And we have a lot to tell you," she added, seeing everyone's confused glances.


	6. Revolution Deathsquad

Revolution Deathsquad

_Rise over shadowed mountains blazing with power_

_Crossing valleys endless tears in unity we stand_

_Far and wide across the land the victory is ours_

_On towards the gates of reason _

_Fight for the truth and the freedom_

_Gloria!_

Jenny

4/26/11

9:04 p.m.

"By all means, tell us." Lupin said calmly enough, but as soon as I said those words, I barely noticed it, but everyone seemed to shrink away from me slightly.

"Well, first off, I'd like to apologize for storming out of here in a murderous rage. I lost all self control when Draco broke the news to me. I was at the end of my rope. Anyway, Draco and I traveled around, and on our first 'mission' you could say, I killed the Minister and the Lestranges."

"Good lord. We had heard about it, it was in _The Quibbler _and by Draco's Patronus…but…wow." Tonks said softly. I immediately felt guilty again. Realizing that everyone thought I was still psychotic, I sat, trying to think of how to make amends. I really didn't want to, I held no shame or guilt for the murders, but I did feel guilty for scaring them all.

"Right after the full moon, Kingsley, with Brian as prisoner, attacked us. They were forcing him into being their spy and, more recently, their assassin to counter what I've been doing. Draco killed Kingsley." I added.

"I have to say, it was not at all regrettable." Draco said dryly, making me smile.

"We heard Brian's story, fed him," I added, making him grimace to the kitchen floor, "then followed his advice today and Apparated to just in front of the wards around the Malfoy's Manor. Antonin Dolohov and Augustus Rookwood were leading Mr. Ollivander and Luna out, probably to kill them. Draco Immobilized them, and in continuing with tradition, we only shot them once, right between the brows. Brian got Rookwood, who had been in charge of torturing him, and I shot Dolohov." Dead silence filled the kitchen.

Harry

4/26/11

9:13 p.m.

"_M-my Lord," Crabbe trembled under my wrathful gaze. Rage was pouring through me. This filthy Muggle, a weak, broken girl had done it __**again.**__ I had personally made sure I hurt her in everyway I could, but she was still killing off my Death Eaters._

"_Who is dead, Crabbe?" I asked coldly. He swallowed, his hands a nervous knot in front of him as he stammered pathetically to the floor._

"_The Malfoy's are p-presumed dead, the Lestranges are d-dead, as is the M-minister. We found Kingsley in the w-woods, and the Muggle was gone. And today…we found Rookwood and Dolohov…their charges w-were gone, My Lord."_

"_Unbelievable!" I hissed, standing up and pacing in dangerous circles around my chair as Crabbe tried to stop his trembling. Muggles were stupid, weak and pathetic. Why was this girl even more lethal than Harry Potter to my cause? "Crabbe," I snapped finally. "Take Nott and Goyle with you, and __**hunt them down.**_"

"HARRY!" With a slap, I jerked into awareness. I could feel the sweat on my face, and not all of his irritation was gone. A blurry shape of Ron handed me my glasses, which I hastily put on.

"What now?" Hermione asked, looking concerned. "Now what is he doing?"

"It's mostly about what Jenny is doing. She's killed the Minister, the Lestranges, Kingsley, Dolohov, and Rookwood." Hermione paled and put a hand over her heart.

"Blimey," Ron said weakly, running a hand slowly through his hair and over his forehead.

"Something must have happened other than what they did to her at Malfoy Manor. Something else must have happened to her. She told Draco she didn't want him to hunt down the Death Eaters after she was rescued. What would make her act like that?" Hermione voiced faintly.

"And bloody hell, who's she going after next?" Ron dropped his hand and thought about what he had just said.

"I dunno, but she better be careful. Voldemort was sending some Death Eaters after her. He sent the stupid ones though," I added, seeing the look on Hermione's face. "Crabbe, Goyle and Nott. If she killed the Lestranges, I think she can handle them."

"Let's hope." Hermione said.

Jenny

4/26/11

9:15 p.m.

"Are you going to stop? I mean, Jenny, the work you are doing isn't exactly _amiable_." Bill said earnestly. I barked a laugh.

"Of course it isn't _amiable_, Bill. I'm going around murdering people, and so are Brian and Draco. And no, I'm not going to stop. This is less about me now, and more about what's good for the Wizarding World. I won't be able to help it once this war is over, I'll be prosecuted like crazy for being more Muggle than Magical. I'm sorry if I'm scaring you, but I'm not stopping, not now. I might as well finish the job."

"But it's so _dangerous._" Lucius said, looking concerned. I had seen him looking like that almost every time I saw him.

"If it wasn't dangerous, I doubt Jenny would be doing it. It's amazing how much like a Slytherin she is." Draco said calmly, putting an arm around my shoulders, making me start to smile again.

"How dare you!" Tonks said, looking affronted. "_Jenny,_ a Slytherin?"

"And what is wrong with Slytherin, Tonks?" Narcissa asked dangerously.

"_ENOUGH!_ Don't you see how petty you are being? The time has passed for caring about what house people are in! I could care less if I was in goddamn Hufflepuff! I'm doing the Wizarding World a favor in the long-run." I shouted, silencing the kitchen.

"Jenny, can I speak with you a moment?" Lupin asked after a moment of Tonks and Narcissa glowering, then shooting each other apologetic glances.

"Of course." I said, and followed him out of the kitchen, missing the feel of Draco's arm around my shoulders. He led me upstairs and into Teddy's nursery. The cutie was asleep, his hair lazily changing colors.

"Jenny, I'm torn. I approve of what you are doing somehow, but I still want you to try to be safe. I'm trying to be your father and doing a terrible job." Lupin started, and I shook my head fiercely.

"I may have left for a while, but I'll be safe, and you are being a perfect father to me. You'll have plenty of time to keep me in check once this war is over, or when I get to most of, if not all the Death Eaters." Something in his expression changed.

"That brings us to what I wanted to ask you about…Jenny, are you alright? You've killed people, so you must be angry yet." I stared at him a moment, then looked at the floor.

"Well, Lupin…this is why I've been avoiding coming here as much as I have been." I took a deep breath. "I don't mind at all what I've done. I'm not proud of it, but I honestly don't care." Lupin inhaled sharply. "Yes, I'm still angry, and I still miss them. This won't make feel any better, and it used to, but it never fills the holes anymore." I admitted to him for the first time since I told Draco how I 'really' felt. "It actually makes it somewhat worse…remembering what started my spree everyday, with every kill. But I suppose I sort of deserve it. I am taking lives after all." Lupin surprised me by holding me close.

"You just put all my fears to rest. I'm sorry it hurts, Jenny, and I'm sorry that you still miss them. I still miss a good friend of mine, who was murdered by Bellatrix and imprisoned for most of his life on a crime he didn't commit." Lupin ended slowly, letting me go.

"Sirius…Sirius Black. Harry's godfather." I said after a moment, and he nodded. "From what I heard," I started, trying to cheer him, "he died doing what he wanted, fighting for what was right. It was cruel and terrible what happened to him his whole life…but at least he knew some kind of happiness from you and Harry." Lupin looked up, and I was shocked to see that his eyes were wet. I hadn't seen him cry in front of me…_ever._

"I wish I could say the same thing for the people you are avenging; your family, your friends." I looked at him a moment, then reached into one of the pockets on my jumpsuit and pulled out my battered wallet from when I was a Muggle. I still carried it as a habit.

"Here are my adoptive parents. My dad's name was David, my mom's Barbara. They look nothing like me, but they were good to me." I tugged out the photograph from behind my Drivers License and handed it to him.

"You were adopted?" Lupin asked in surprise.

"I think I told Hermione once out of the week I spent with her. Don't feel like you've forgotten. I didn't think it was important, considering I would never see them again." I smiled sadly at the photograph as he handed it back. I tucked into my wallet again without looking at Lupin, then felt my fingers drop the wallet as tears welled up over my eyes, despite my best efforts. I put my face in my hands and felt Lupin put a hand on my back as I cried. "They didn't have to die, my family, my f-friends. None of them and it's my fault." I said very softly, wiping my face clean and looking up to see Lupin with a concerned expression.

"Jenny, you can't blame yourself for being the random victim of a horrible attack. And if you parents knew the situation, I'm sure they would be very proud of you, just like I am."


	7. Gunman

Gunman

_Lions clawing, _

_building up steam. _

_Flesh and bone have no persuasion, _

_this is the path to my destination. _

_Gunman, where you been? _

_You're my hero, savior, psycho, slayer._

Jenny

4/27/11

6:10 a.m.

On Lupin's request, Brian, Draco and I stayed at Shell Cottage the next day. Teddy re-glued himself to my side when he awoke, and insisted on being somewhat near me at all times. I felt an even greater need to protect him, and everyone I loved. So after several hugs goodbye, and promises to return and send news often, we left the cottage with a new target plan in mind. It was dangerous, most of my ideas were, but with Draco's magic and Brian and I being able to kill anything within a few meters, I was hopeful. We were going to get in front of the Leaky Cauldron, the entrance to Diagon Alley. I knew that Death Eaters would be there, and with luck and good aim, I would be able to kill at least one. Draco Disillusioned us and we Apparated. I was suddenly standing on a normal Muggle street, watching them go by. Cars honked and I was hearing conversations about computers, and homework- things non-existent in the Wizarding World. "Over here, don't just stand there," Draco said, chuckling, and I felt him pull me backwards, towards a shabby building I hadn't even noticed. A dirty and rusty sign hung above the door that said _The Leaky Cauldron._

A mousy looking woman wearing a plain black cloak Apparated less than a foot from me, and I barely stopped myself from screaming in surprise. Draco's hold on my arm tightened when she Apparated, but then relaxed. I felt him push Brian after her, then pulled me through the door when she opened it. The inside of the Leaky Cauldron was dark and dingy, and full of what seemed like despair. After wandering around the place, we arrived behind a group of pillars on the ground floor, with a perfect shot at anyone in the inn. We each took a pillar and started to look closely around the inn, looking for Death Eaters. "What can I get for you?" A hunchbacked bar tender asked three men, all dressed normally and looking around the inn in what seemed to be an innocent manner. Two children happily ran around a table, watching a miniature of Viktor Krum walk around the edge. A large group of old witches were gossiping and cackling loudly in a corner. Nothing seemed particularly out of place.

"Tom, have you seen anything…strange around here lately? Doors opening on their own? Footsteps?" One of the men leaned forward over his drink. Tom laughed.

"I'm sorry, Nott, but the Leaky Cauldron is so old, and there is so much magic here. Doors sometimes walk down the hallways on their own." A hand suddenly pulled us closer, and I felt Brian bump into my shoulder as he was pulled along too. It was Draco, then. I wondered what the hell he was doing until I remembered the list. _Nott_. Nott was on the list…

"Well, dammit, how are we supposed to find these freaks if they only appear to-"

"Shut up!" A deeper voice snarled, and Draco's grip tightened. Then Draco dragged us all the way back to where we were before.

"The three of them are Death Eaters. I'll bet the one that complained was Crabbe, and the deeper voiced one is Goyle. That means Nott, Crabbe and Goyle are supposed to be tracking us." Draco said this quickly and quietly.

"Then let's follow them, and we'll each get one. Quick and easy. Can we Apparate out of Diagon Alley?" Brian whispered. I heard Draco snort.

"If we could, we would have Apparated straight inside. We'll have to get out of there, and get out of there fast." Draco paused. "I'd have your guns out and ready." He added, then pulled us back towards the men. We followed them as they stood up and went into Diagon Alley, talking quietly.

"We'll have to lure them out of hiding somehow. We'll have to go to that dump the Weasley's call a house, break the wards. Then we can put it in the _Prophet_." Goyle said in an undertone as they headed for Knockturn Alley.

"Idiot, they won't read the bloody _Prophet._ We'd have to find that prat Lovegood and make him put it in the _Quibbler._ It's the only thing resistors read. You know that." Nott snapped. They stepped into Knockturn Alley, and we followed them. The alley itself was dark and damp, with mold and mildew on the walls and ground. Wizards dressed in dark robes walked through the streets. They followed the alley for awhile, until they ducked into a hidden corner.

"Which Weasley do we go after?" Crabbe asked after they glanced around their corner.

"_Which one?_ Whoever is bloody at their shack. The more, the better." Nott growled. I felt around until I touched Draco's shoulder. I squeezed it twice. Almost instantly, the men froze. I strode over and plucked their wands out of their hands and stowed them away.

"All of you helped murder our families, didn't you?" I asked, and their eyes darted around. They knew what was coming next.

"You really shouldn't have done that." Brian spoke this time, and I saw the skin by Nott's forehead waver as an invisible gun was placed there. With a pop, Nott fell over. I stepped forward, heading for Goyle, when I thought I saw Crabbe shift a little.

"Draco, did you-?" I never finished my sentence when there was a bang, and something from Crabbe's hand flew out and exploded. The force of it slammed me into a wall, and I felt my temple throb as sticky blood started to trail down the side of my face. I whirled, and crossed the space quickly, jumping over stones and shot Crabbe, then turned and shot Goyle. "Dammit, Draco, Brian, are you alright?" I whispered.

"God, _fuck._ Yes, I'm bloody perfect." Draco spat, and some stones kicked themselves out of the way as he crossed to the sound of my voice.

"_Brian!_" I whispered fiercely, and knelt, sweeping my fingers around the ground, trying to find him.

"Ouch! Bloody-" Draco swore, and then Brian shimmered into awareness. "I tripped over him. It knocked him out…_Ennervate."_ Draco said, then swore again when Brian didn't stir. Brian disappeared, then I heard Draco grunt. "I've got him, now come on, lead the way." He whispered, and I felt around until I ended up touching his chest. I traveled my hand down across Brian's arm, to Draco's shoulder, then down to his hand. I pulled them swiftly through Knockturn Alley, past the wizards that were running towards the sound of the explosion.

Draco tapped the way back into the Leaky Cauldron as I heard voices shouting behind us. "There's bloody footprints this way!" A voice shouted, and wizards burst into the bar. I touched my head and swore silently, feeling the blood pooling down and leaving a trail. Green flashes of light started from my left, and the wizards shouted in surprise, diving under tables or returning them at random from behind the bar.

I seized Draco's free wrist and hauled him out the door. Wizards burst into the Muggle street, making them start to crowd around as I frantically looked around the street as the flashes of light continued. On one frantic pass, I noticed a car sitting there innocently. I dragged Draco along and opened the back door. I felt Brian pass next to me into the back, and I picked up his legs and shoved them in, then slammed the door. "Get the car, for Merlin's sake, the god damn car!" A wizard shouted, and they started coming for us, aiming for the car. I ran around to the driver's side and saw Draco's door open and close.

I felt frantically around, in the glove compartment, under the seat, looking for a spare set of keys. "Whatever the fuck this does, Jenny, _do it_!" Draco yelled, ducking as a curse shattered the back windshield. I wrenched open the visors, and felt a key fall into my lap. I seized it and jammed it into the ignition.

"That car is driving itself!" A Muggle woman screamed as I pulled out into traffic without looking and slammed down on the accelerator. The car lurched to life, and I heard wizards shouting behind us, and Muggles loudly gossiping as we raced by.

"Will they get Ministry cars after us?" I panted, blinking blood out of my eyes as I weaved through traffic, getting angry honks but then loud shouts as other drivers looked for a driver to flick off and didn't find one. Draco rapped on my head and I swam into view.

"Probably, and Merlin's beard, your head!" Draco swore as he saw the blood going down my side. "_Episkey!"_ he growled, and I felt the cut seal. "_Evanesco."_ He growled again, and the blood on me vanished. "Now drive like a normal Muggle, I think I see Ministry cars." I heard Draco climb over the seat, and then tinkling of glass.

"What are you doing?" I shouted, trying to watch the road and him in the rearview mirror at the same time.

"Changing what the car looks like, and the license plate, so they can't track the damn car!" Draco snapped from the back seat. "And whatever the fuck Crabbe used, it's knocked him out cold. We need to get somewhere so we can Apparate. Let me Disillusion-what is that?" Draco asked, and I heard sirens start up behind us. I looked out my side mirror and swore creatively.

"It's the police. Stay invisible and _please _stay quiet. I still have my driver's license." I pulled over, and Draco swore under his breath, then stayed quiet. I heard the officer walk over to the car as a whole squad of cars tore after a car that looked like the one I had stolen, and I realized Draco had done more than just change the appearance of our car; he made a Muggle's car look like the one we had stolen. Making a mental note to kiss him later for his brilliance, I looked down as I fished out my wallet and saw that he had also transfigured my clothes. I was wearing the clothes he had first seen me in, the cargo pants and the t-shirt I had been wearing in my kitchen. Trying to ignore the feeling of guns strapped to my back, I set my wallet on the gear-shift on the floor as the police officer rapped on my window. I rolled it down.

"Evening, Officer." I said calmly. He looked at me a moment. "Is there something wrong?" I worked hard to sound concerned, and it pulled off. He shook his head, leaning against the door.

"No, but one of your tail-lights is out. I'd get that fixed if I were you." He waved and walked away as I sat there in shock. I was sure I was going to have to let Draco hex him.

"I would get pulled over for a bloody tail light." I growled, but smiled to the Officer as he drove past us.

"What's a tail-light?" Draco asked dryly, and I suddenly couldn't stop laughing.

"Come on, I'll get Brian out. We need to Disapparate." My laughter died as I remembered Brian. Grabbing my wallet and shoving it back in my pocket, I climbed out and opened the back door and slung Brian over my shoulder, staggering slightly under the weight. Draco reappeared out of nowhere and took my arm. With a pop, we arrived at Shell Cottage again. "Draco, I need you to send a Patronus to the Weasley's, and warn them, alright? If Voldemort decides to go after them to stop us…" I shifted the invisible Brian on my shoulder. Draco thought a moment, then his wolf Patronus took off into the sky.

We stepped inside the wards. "Jenny, what picture did you show me yesterday?" It was Lupin's voice again.

"A picture of my adoptive parents. Lupin, who killed Kingsley specifically?"

"Draco. Draco, how many glasses of firewhisky did I drink the night my son was born?"

"Enough to make you a ranting drunk." Draco said dryly, and Lupin appeared.

"Back so soon?" He asked lightly, but then stopped as I shifted Brian again. "Is someone with you? Where's Brian?" Draco reached around me and whapped Brian's shoulder, sending him back into visibility. Lupin started.

"We've got another story to tell you." I muttered.


	8. Unstoppable

Unstoppable

Jenny

4/29/11

2:30 p.m.

Draco told everyone in the house everything we had heard, and about how a Patronus had been sent to the Weasley's. Brian had woken up a few hours later with a massive headache, but other than that, he was fine.

Then Tonks dropped the bomb.

Randomly, she motioned for me to join her upstairs, so I did. We walked past the room where Brian was sleeping to Ollivander's, and my confusion deepened. He was sitting at a desk, and there were wood was piled high, and large stacks of crates were in each corner. He looked a lot better since the last time I had seen him. He smiled and kissed my hand when we came in. "Ah, Miss Jenny, a pleasure as always."

"Jenny…you told Lupin you were adopted…is that true?" Tonks asked, and I raised an eyebrow, my damn curiosity getting the better of me.

"Yeah, I was adopted as a baby…what's the problem?" I asked, looking from her to Ollivander, unsure how they connected on this issue.

"You may not be a Muggle." Tonks said in a rush, making my eyebrow raise further. She couldn't be serious. "We tried to trace your adoptive parents, and we might actually have something." Tonks' face was shining with joy. I stared at her for a second.

"Who were they…do you know?" I asked quietly. I had tried myself, but when my adoptive parents found out, they made me swear never to look for them again. At the time, I had agreed, then never given it much thought. With this new possibility, new questions were spinning through my head.

"Have you heard of the name Aberforth?" Tonks asked, and I shook my head. Tonks took a deep breath. "Well, with some persuasion and a few charms, I hunted down the clerk who had accepted you from your parents and filed your papers. He said that the father had intense blue eyes, a white beard and a crooked nose. Unfortunately, both Albus and Aberforth can go by that description."

"Wait," I croaked, "are you telling me my father is a _Dumbledore?_ That's ridiculous; they are both old men-"

"It could be possible, but we are thinking Aberforth. Albus would have made sure that you went to a magical family, whereas Aberforth would simply give you up for adoption. In fact, he would probably make sure you went to Muggles, and he would have hidden you from Albus."

"And my mom?" I asked, but the look on Tonks' face made my heart sink further.

"We have no idea. All we know is that she was blond with grey eyes. And it's not Narcissa." Tonks joked, and I smiled timidly at the carpet, my mind ripped to shreds. I was probably the magical child of some one night stand. Wonderful. "And that's why I brought you to see Mr. Ollivander. If you _are_ related to the Dumbledore's…you might be able to use a wand." I went to interject, but Mr. Ollivander's feathery voice stopped me.

"According to Miss Nymphadora," I saw Tonks shudder, "you were able to make sparks come out of her wand, is that correct?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"For any other person, that would have been impossible. You were able to do that not because you had become a werewolf, something magical, but rather, because you had magical talent _all along._" I stared at Ollivander, unable to believe it. He started to smile. "Can you remember a time when you did something out of the ordinary? Something strange?" He asked, and suddenly, I could. Things that just seemed like coincidences flooded my head, filling me with doubt.

Like the time I was rock climbing, and when I jumped for the next rock, it seemed like I flew for it…or the time when the gas went out under what I was cooking, and when I yelled at it, it turned back on…in karate, when I could stay in the air longer than anyone else…why Mr. Weasley's Disillusionment Charms worked so well…

"It can't be magic, there has to be another explanation." I said weakly, but Mr. Ollivander shoved a wand into my hand.

"Wave it around." He ordered, so I did, feeling ridiculous. More tiny sparks shot out the end, but nothing more. Muttering, he snatched the wand back and gave me another. Again, all I got was sparks, no warmth, no special magic. After spending ten minutes digging through a pile, he retrieved one and handed it to me. The wand was about the length of a ruler, and made of a light wood, almost like beach driftwood. I took it, and a heat spread from my fingers, and I gasped, dropping it.

"This is not possible. _I am a __Muggle_." I insisted, but reluctantly taking the wand again as Mr. Ollivander shoved it back into my hand.

"Wave it and say, _Aguamenti._" He instructed, his face starting to shine.

"_Aguamenti."_ I said flatly, then started as a gentle stream of water started to fall from the tip, vanishing before it hit the floor.

"_YEAH! _Hey, everyone! Jenny can use a wand!" Tonks bellowed. Silence filled the house, then feet started pounding up the stairs, doors opened, and voices called out.

"I don't believe it, you were right Tonks!" Lupin exclaimed when he came in and saw me holding the wand. It was still making the gentle cascade of water, but when I dropped my arm, the water vanished.

"Congratulations, Jenny!" Draco came over and gave me a hug. "You'll be unstoppable now, and Voldemort has _no_ idea! I'll teach you all sorts of spells, and when the time comes, you can help us exterminate all the Death Eaters, and Voldemort himself!" I pulled back from Draco, a sudden excitement filling me up. I could use _magic._ I could do _anything_ if I tried hard enough!

"Can we start right now? The most basic self defense is what I would _love_ to learn first, if you don't mind." I asked eagerly, and everyone in the Order nodded. I was bursting with happiness, I was going to be trained by wizards of the _Order, _if they couldn't teach me, no one could.

"Not in ze house!" Fleur said loudly from the back, and I laughed, suddenly giddy. The 'drift-wood' wand, (as I had so nicknamed it) felt good in my hand, it made me feel secure.

"Come on!" I said excitedly, and grabbed Draco's sleeve, and pulled him through the mini crowd that had gathered and out of the house; onto the front lawn. Everyone settled down onto the lawn except for Lupin, Tonks, and Draco. Lucius and his wife watched carefully from the doorway. They had been wary about casting magic, even though we had treated them with nothing but respect after they cleared their names.

"Alright, Jenny, do a little roll with your wrist, like this, and say _Expelliarmus!" _Lupin said calmly, but his eyes were full of light as he demonstrated, Disarmed Draco, and threw his wand back to him as I lifted my wand uncertainly. I practiced the movement a moment.

"_Expelliarmus!"_ I did it quickly and without warning, looking up from my hand and shooting my spell at Malfoy, whose wand flew at me, which I caught, shocked. I _did it!_

Jenny

5/1/11

2:45 p.m.

The lessons continued, with a different wizard focusing on teaching me different things. With much persuasion, I got Malfoy's parents to teach me some spells that were a bit more 'border lining on Dark Magic' as Lucius put it, but I had heard of wizards from the Light using them as well. I practiced constantly, and according to Ollivander, I was learning the spells faster than I should have, which made me wonder, could I possibly _Albus_ Dumbledore's child, instead of Aberforth's? I knew Aberforth was talented, all of the Dumbledore's were, but I could tell from everyone's faces that my faster speed of learning, especially the type of spells I was learning, wasn't normal.

I was practicing in the yard with Bill when Lupin went out to meet the Weasley's. I told him to pass on all of my best wishes, but they wouldn't be told about me carrying a wand, in fact, Lupin put everyone in the house under an Unbreakable Vow to not tell a soul about it until Lupin or I told them to.

I had been working hard on a Patronus. If I could conjure one, I could send the messages, and since the Death Eater's obviously hadn't seen my Patronus yet, no one else would be in danger. With a pop, I saw Lupin Apparate outside the fence and he rushed back inside, but stopped by the gate.

"What is my middle name?" I asked him without giving him a chance to catch his breath.

"Lillian." He panted, rolling his eyes. He new I hated the name.

"Which one of us carried Harry, Ron and Hermione's luggage in the forest?" I frowned at the memory, the very next day I had been taken to Malfoy Manor.

"You did." I said flatly, and only then did he approach, unrolling _The Prophet_ with a smack and handing it to me. The cover screamed:

_**BREAK IN AT GRINGOTTS BANK**_

"I don't understand, did they steal something from the Order?" I asked him as Bill looked over my shoulder.

"Vault 74…Vault 74…that's the Lestranges Vault!" He snatched the paper from me and scanned it while Lupin smiled, but it was more of a proud grimace.

"You don't think, no it couldn't have been…" Lupin shook his head, smiling.

"The picture inside shows them flying off on a dragon, the one that has been in Gringotts for centuries. They finally did it; you must have been right about whatever they were after." Lupin took my arm and started taking us back up to the house. "Now, Jenny, you are aware that the full moon is tonight." Lupin changed the subject, but I pulled my arm out of his.

"Lupin, if Harry, Hermione and Ron really did just steal what they were after, we can't just sit here. Voldemort will be absolutely _furious._ If there was ever going to be a confrontation with him, it will be soon, I can promise you that." He looked at me a moment, then nodded.

"We'll get ready, but you and I _must_ drink that potion before we do anything else. If we are called somewhere and we haven't taken it…we would attack anyone, not to mention each other." We both winced at the memory. I nodded, and we both went inside, and Bill followed us in, calling up the stairs and spreading the paper out on his kitchen table.

"Listen, we know that Harry, Ron and Hermione did this, broke into Gringotts, and stole something that is _essential_ to Voldemort. He'll be furious, I know he will, and something is going to become of this. We'll have to be ready in case something happens." I accepted a bottle of the Wolfsbane Potion from Lupin and drank it quickly, then leaned on the table to ease the usual dizziness. Lupin paled, as usual, but stayed standing.

"Are you _sure_, Jenny?" Tonks asked after a moment, and I nodded strongly. She looked at me hard a moment, then sighed. "Alright, everyone get their stuff together and be ready to leave at a moment's notice. We have no time to lose."


	9. Scream

Scream

_We've all had a time where we've lost control_

_We've all had our time to grow_

_I'm hoping I'm wrong but I know I'm right_

_I'll hunt again one night_

Jenny

5/1/11

5:12 p.m.

At Tonks' words, everyone had spread out through the house, rounding up things we would need, in case there really was a fight. Brain and I were loaded with any and every weapon we had, and thanks to a great Transfiguration spell I learned quickly, lots of ammo. The spell increased whatever we had left, so essentially, we would never run out.

We spent the rest of the day in tense silence, especially Lupin and I. This new threat of a fight couldn't have come at a worse time. If either of us were exposed to a shred of moonlight, we would lose our ability to carry a wand or a weapon, and we'd have to fight as werewolves. Werewolves were seen as dark creatures, so the people we were fighting with would probably turn against us.

"Oh!" Luna said suddenly, standing up from her chair in the living room and fishing in her pocket, and pulling out a Galleon. She scrutinized it closely as we all stared at her. "When I was taking Defense Against the Dark Arts in my fifth year from Harry, Hermione made these Galleons to tell us whenever there was a meeting." She held up the coin, and I could see burned into it in black writing was the word 'Hogwarts.'

"But how are we going to get in? It's not like we can just Apparate into Hogsmade." Draco asked, and Luna flipped the coin. In the same black writing were the words 'The Hogs Head.'

"Well, that settles it. Draco, you take Brian and Jenny. Everyone else will Apparate on their own." Tonks decided after a moment of us staring at Luna. Draco linked arms with me, then touched Brian's shoulder. With a _pop__,_ we reappeared in a dingy and grey bar. I started as an old man with a large white beard came down the stairs.

"For the Resistance, then?" He asked gruffly, and as he stepped further into the light, I noticed he had intense blue eyes…

"Are you _Aberforth?_" I asked in surprise, and he turned a critical eye on me, then his face hardened over.

"Yes, Missy, I am. And who might you be?" He snapped. I stepped closer and looked him dead in the eye, and he seemed to stiffen.

"Technically, I'm Jennifer Lillian Quinty. But my Muggle parents are dead, so I'm currently Jenny Lillian, and I'm staying with Remus Lupin." I looked at him closer yet as Lupin, and Tonks Apparated into the bar.

"Jennifer Quinty? The crazy Muggle who's been killing Death Eaters?" He growled, and it was my turn to stiffen.

"Someone needed to do it, and considering they hurt all me, all of my friends, and murdered my Muggle family and friends, it seemed pretty logical, don't you think?" I snapped. "Now, I'm going to make this short," I continued, as everyone else Apparated from Shell Cottage into his bar, "Did you give a child up for adoption?" He looked at me, and then started _laughing._

"Merlin's Beard, _me_, give up a child…" He chuckled, wiping at his eyes.

"So you're _not_ her father?" Tonks threw in, catching on to the conversation. Aberforth turned an interesting purple color.

"_Her __**father?**__" _

"Never mind, there isn't anytime to waste. Jenny, we can figure this out later. For now, we need to get into the castle." Lupin said, peering out the window. Figuring that he was looking for the moon, I walked upstairs after Tonks, mind spinning again. Could I honestly be _Albus Dumbledore's_ daughter? Spawn of the greatest wizard of all time?

The passage to the castle was short but sweet, and I found myself climbing into a room full of people, who were all talking in low voices, creating a type of hum around us. Luna grabbed my hand and dragged me over to a group of students. "Luna!" One of them asked in surprise, and then she was hugging everyone in the little group. When they noticed me, they all seemed to shrink back a little.

"This," Luna gestured to me dramatically, "Is Jenny. She saved my life."

"A pleasure," I said kindly, staying where I was, realizing that I probably looked quite intimidating. I knew that I must be featured in the Prophet as an Undesirable, and they must have heard of my murders. Also, I just so happened to be covered in artillery.

"Did you really kill all those Death Eaters?" A blond girl with a pudgy face asked anxiously.

"I'm not proud of it, nor am I torn up about it, but yes, I did. I had some help, I didn't kill all of them personally, but I'm the reason they are dead." I said flatly, and the little crowd seemed to shrink back further.

"So everything about you is true? You're a werewolf?" The girl whispered almost fearfully.

"Of course she's a bloody werewolf, isn't she, Fred?" I whipped around to see the twins standing there, the Weasley's a few ways off greeting the Order. I felt a huge grin stretch over my face, and I ran over and hugged both of them.

"Fred, George! How is everyone?" I asked, ignoring the crowd of people Luna was trying to reassure.

"Great, actually. We listen to _Potterwatch!_ everyday." Fred said casually, and I heard a gasp from the pudgy girl.

"She does _Potterwatch!_" Furious whispers broke out, but I grimaced at Luna, who shrugged at me, and I turned back to the twins.

"And how have they handled my, um, little spree lately?" I asked, and they seemed to frown simultaneously.

"I don't mean to be rude, but none of us can really believe it, even though we know it's you. You are covered in those gun things, yeah, but it just seems so out of character for you." George said, and I laughed. Suddenly, the room got very quiet, and as I looked up, I saw Harry on the steps, and Lupin was talking with him.

"We're fighting." I heard him say, and the crowd around us roared, racing for the steps he was on. The room emptied within a minute or two, leaving only the Weasley's, Lupin, Draco, Brian, Harry, Bill and Fleur, and myself. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were shouting at each other.

"You're underage!" Mrs. Weasley shouted at Ginny. "I won't permit it! The boys, yes, but you, you've got to go home!"

"I won't!" Ginny yelled back, her hair flying as she pulled her arm away from her mother.

"You're sixteen, you're not old enough!"

"Technically, I'm not either, Mrs. Weasley." I said quietly, and she whirled, and stared at me as if she hadn't seen anything like me. "And Ginny can-" she cut me off by wrapping me in a huge hug.

"What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here either." She croaked finally, patting my shoulders obsessively, her eyes raking over my body, the weapons, and finally came to rest on my eyes. "I'm so sorry Jenny, for your family, your friends." She continued before I could defend myself, and I looked at the floor.

"What happened to them? What happened to _you,_ Jenny?" Harry asked curiously, and I turned to face him instead of Mrs. Weasley.

"The Death Eaters hunted them down and killed all of them except Brian here," I gestured to him, "so I've been…I've been hunting down as many Death Eaters I can get my hands on and killing them the good old fashioned Muggle way. That's what all of these are for." I unhooked a pistol from around my boot and continued. "And what do you mean, what's happened to me?"

"You look, well, um-" Harry started, but the man I recognized faintly from the Ministry, the one that caused so much tension with Mr. Weasley in the lift stumbled through the portrait hole from Aberforth's pub. In the awkward silence that started to build between them, I shook my head slightly to clear it. Thinking about Aberforth made me wonder about my biological parents, and therefore, the wand that seemed to burning in my sleeve. I could use it now, if I really needed too.

"Um, Lupin, do you have a picture of Teddy? To show Harry?" I asked quickly, and Lupin started, then reached into his jacket, loudly proclaiming into the silence about how he was at Tonks' mom's place.

"Hey, you ok?" Draco whispered in my ear from behind as The Weasley's made up.

"I feel a little psychotic. I feel like a murderer." I said truthfully, and I saw Harry glance over, and then tug on Lupin's sleeve.

"Can you feel bad enough to regret it?" He whispered, and I shook my head. He came around to face me. "It'll be alright, Jenny, you know it will." He said earnestly, and I nodded halfheartedly, looking off into the distance as Draco kissed my forehead.

Harry

5/1/11

6:02 p.m.

"Lupin, what happened?" I asked him in an undertone, glancing at Jenny. Draco was talking to her seriously, but she looked even more distant then when I had first seen her. She was paler than when I had seen her after the Manor incident, and thinner too. Her eyes, which used to be full of life, and the emotion she was feeling at the moment were cold and hard all the time; lacking happiness.

Lupin sighed. "I wish I could tell you. When we told her what had happened to her family…I think it was the last straw. We didn't hear from her or Draco for awhile, until the _Quibbler_ and eventually the _Prophet _started reporting Death Eater murders." He sighed again and glanced at Jenny as she nodded into the distance. Her eyes looked wet. Draco kissed her forehead as Lupin continued. "She misses them all so much, especially the life she once had. With every kill, it reminds her more of them every day."

"She looks broken." I said without thinking, but Lupin nodded grimly.

"That's why Tonks and I are going to adopt her. We have the papers all ready. Once the Ministry is restored, and if they don't prosecute her for being a Muggle," he paused for a moment, like he wanted to say something, but continued, "we want to adopt her. She just needs what she's been missing for all this time- consistent love, safety and happiness."


	10. My Darkest Hour

My Darkest Hour

_Let me up_

_Let me out_

_I am suffocating_

_I can't live without_

_This all behind me_

_Is this almost over now?_

Jenny

5/1/11

11:05 p.m.

"Come on," Draco said to me, and he led through me through Hogwarts, (which was an _amazing_ castle) to a giant hall full of what I realized were students. "I'm not going to be able to stay with you for the whole fight, and when I Disillusion you, I won't be able to see you. _Please_ be safe. Any random spell could hit you, and I'd never find you." Draco said intensely all of a sudden, making me sigh. I knew this was coming. He stopped us in the entry way to the hall, taking my hands to enforce his point.

"I'm going to stay with you as long as I can, but I'm going to jump around from Order member to Order member. They all need protecting." He looked at me a moment, then we hugged long and hard.

"Be safe." He said, and I shook my head, a strange sense of nostalgia creeping over me.

"I thought we agreed that went out the window a few months ago. If I loose you in the fight, I'll see you tomorrow. I promise." I took one of his hands in both of mine and kissed it as Draco pulled me actually out of the entrance to the hall and off into a corner to listen, a fair witch with a sharply pointed hat addressed the student body. She was talking about reinforcing the castle when the high voice that had haunted me filled the hall, making me gasp and freeze.

"I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood." Draco put a protective arm around my shoulders, looking around the hall with a fierce expression as I stayed frozen, staring into the distance. I could still remember the curiosity in his eyes, his hands on the side of my head-

"Give me Harry Potter," said Voldemort's voice, "and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight." Suddenly, all of the students seemed to turn to look at us, until I realized Harry was only a few feet away from us, looking at the ceiling with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Potter's _there!_ Someone grab him!" A girl shrieked into the silence, and without thinking, I closed the few feet between Harry and me with a flip, landing in front of him. Blood was pounding in my ears. But the rest of the student body had turned to face the girl's table, wands out.

"Thank you, Miss Parkinson," said the woman in a clipped voice, and started giving directions on evacuating the students. I turned around slowly, wondering where the hell that reaction had come from.

"Sorry," I started sheepishly, "It was just a reaction I swear." I hastily stepped away seeing the large size of Harry's eyes.

"It's alright," he sounded kind of dazed, so I patted him once on the shoulder, smiled, then went back over to Draco. He rolled his eyes at me so I punched his shoulder lightly as we listened to the woman on the stand addressing the students and wizards that would be the troops fighting against Voldemort.

"We've only got half and hour until midnight, so we need to act fast! A battle plan has been agreed between the teachers of Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix. Professors Flitwick, Sprout and myself will be going to the highest towers to work spells. Meanwhile, Remus, and Arthur will be working the grounds. Fred and George will be working on passageways into the school. Leaders, come up here so the troops can be divided!" She called, and I turned to Draco, a sudden thought hitting my brain.

"I'll be right back," I promised, then darted over to grab Lupin before the fight. I caught his arm right before he went over to the group of leaders assembling. "Lupin, what are you _doing? _You can't fight on the grounds!" I lowered my voice for my last sentence, and he frowned.

"It's supposed to be cloudy tonight." He said flatly. I glared at him.

"You're lying, I can tell. Lupin, not many people will know you are fighting on our side! I know spells tend to bounce off of us, but this is ridiculous! If you change out there, you won't be able to use your wand! What do you think will happen to it if you change out there?" Lupin put a hand on my shoulder as my voice started to raise.

"Jenny, listen to me. I know the grounds as well as the gamekeeper, I spent most of my school days running around them. It's risky, yes, but this is war. We have to take risks. I," he paused, looking torn, "I don't mean to contradict myself, but _please_ don't be too risky tonight, alright? I want to see you when this is over."

I opened my mouth to yell at him some more, but someone in the leaders group called him over, and he turned around without another word. I gaped after him for a moment before angrily stalking back to Draco, who was standing awkwardly next to Brian. "Stupid, overconfident, hypocritical and lying dick." I hissed under my breath as I drew up in front of Brian and Draco. "Lupin is being a…" I struggled to finish my sentence without using foul language, but had to move on. "It's a full moon tonight, we both drank potions, but he's working the grounds, which means if the moon comes out from behind the clouds, he's _fucked._" I growled the last word, crossing my arms then raising my eyebrow as neither male in front of me said anything, but glared at each other. "Ok, what is going on?" I asked suspiciously, looking from Draco to Brian.

"You're with _him?_ I blessedly overlooked the signs, but Jenny-" Brian started.

"This _prick_, is being the most jealous controlling-" Draco started simultaneously.

I looked at both of them in disbelief. Now of all times, right? "Stop, stop." I shook my head and raised a hand, too anxious to listen to both of them at once. "Draco, he has every right to feel this way." I ignored Draco when he went to retort and instead addressed Brian. "Brian, I'm sorry, I really am, I should have been straight with you as soon as we rescued you, but you had a lot on your mind. I love you like a brother-"

My probably long winded apology was interrupted by Luna running over and turning me around. "Jenny, I just got a message from Mr. Ollivander. Something about your anger fueling your," she lowered her voice, although it remained urgent, "wand, and that he and Tonks were wrong about your heritage, that you don't have any magic in your blood other than the werewolf thing. I'm sorry, Jenny, he said overtime your wand abilities would disappear completely, unless you were to go on another murderous rampage." Luna said earnestly, watching me the whole time. A horrible feeling had fallen into my stomach. My biggest advantage was going to disappear.

"Thanks, thanks, Luna," I said quickly, shaking my head lightly to clear it. She nodded once with a bit of sympathy on her face before running to join a stream of kids leaving the hall. "_Shit,_" I swore under my breath, rubbing my temples. I was still an ordinary slightly psycho Muggle. Lovely.

"Jenny-" Brian started, but about three floors up, a thunderous crash echoed through the castle, and a weird and high keening scream broke through the night. Brian looked down at his wrist, at his watch. It was midnight, the fight had begun. I turned to Draco.

"Disillusion us, please." I said quietly, and after a moment, Draco scowled and rapped me over the head, and then Brian, and it looked a little harder than necessary. Brian was scowling too as he vanished into oblivion. "See you soon," I said to the air, then pulled the two knives back out and jogged over to the doors, which were open to let troops in and out. I slipped through and onto the steps of the castle. The grounds were huge and dark, but were deadly silent. Suddenly, jets of light flew from a semi-circle in front of the doors, and the wizards on the steps instantly started to fire jinxes back. Staying low, I crept around the stairs and into the dark grounds, and around a huge mass of wizards dressed in black.

Death Eaters. Their numbers were almost triple ours. Old hate for them burned in my veins, and I pulled many tiny blades out of one of my pockets and started silently throwing them, hitting Death Eater's precisely in the back of the head. When a Death Eater turned after the fifth of his own men fell, I backed off quickly as shouts started out among them.

"She's here, somewhere over there!" one of them shouted, pointing in the opposite direction of me, and hexes and curses of all kinds started out that way, their ranks going back to back for a few minutes until they thought they had killed me, then they all turned to face the front, a driving force trying to break into the castle. Soon their ranks broke, and wizards from the Order mixed in among them, dueling dangerously. On my silent trek through the fights, I spotted the back of Lupin, dueling with Macnair. With one shot, I got him right in the heart, making Lupin whirl, scan the fight with eyes that couldn't see me, then he joined a student dueling with another Death Eater. Barely resisting the urge to follow Lupin continuously, instead I searched for Draco, and found him jinxing a Death Eater until he resembled a pile of mush.

"Dear, Draco, what would your mother say?" I said clearly, and he stiffened then grinned, scanning the area for trouble with ever watchful eyes.

"I'd say she would be proud." He said starkly, making me giggle, then throw a knife thirty feet into a Death Eater's back, making him keel over, leaving his opponent utterly bemused. Draco and I rejoined the fight, but the Death Eaters pushed us farther and farther back until we were inside the castle.


	11. The Truth Beneath the Rose

The Truth Beneath The Rose

_Blinded to see_

_The cruelty of the beast_

_Here is the darkest side of me_

_(Forgive me my sins)_

_The veil of my dreams_

_Deceived all I have seen_

_Forgive me for what I have been_

_(Forgive me my sins)_

Jenny

5/2/11

12:42 a.m.

The fighting was bitter and intense. I pulled out all the stops, staying by Draco's side and taking careful aim with my weapons, they had to last for awhile yet. I was unwilling to retrieve weapons that I had already thrown; it would leave my back turned to the fighting. Suddenly, I felt hot, and when I looked down, I saw that I was swimming back into visibility. I shot the wizard Draco was dueling with and touched his shoulder as he started jinxing another one. "Draco, the charm, it's gone!" I shouted next to him, covering his back and my front as he swore.

"Can you renew it yourself?" He shouted back, and we both ducked as his opponent shot higher than we could dodge. I hesitated, then reached in my sleeve and retrieved the wand. It still felt hot in my hand, but I was unsure. Luna had passed on Ollivander's message about the emotions I had been feeling intensifying the magic…would it still work? The Death Eater gaped at me stupidly as he saw the wand in my hand, giving Draco time to start his offensive as I hesitated still. I took a deep breath and rapped my arm sharply, trying to feel angry. My arm wavered, then returned back to normal.

"Jenny, are you holding a _wand?"_ Hermione's voice came from nowhere, making me flinch and tense.

"Damn it, Hermione, don't do that! It's great to…hear you again. Yes, that is a wand. I would explain-"

"But we don't have time." Harry's voice came from nowhere as well, and I ducked again with Draco, trying to think ahead. "I need to swap wands with Draco right now." I frowned, not understanding, but held open my hand, sticking my own wand back in my sleeve. I flinched when someone took my hand and it vanished under a wet like material only to return to visibility with a wand in my fingers. I stretched that arm out around Draco's and shoved it in his wand hand, plucking out his own.

"Just trade, Harry needs it for some reason, I have no idea why, just do it!" I said in his ear, and without even stopping, he continued hexing with the new wand.

"Thanks!" I heard Ron say, passing us, and then Draco and I continued fighting, moving forward, back towards the steps, keeping anymore Death Eaters from entering the castle. Suddenly, I saw the moon breaking through the clouds, and I could only stand and watch, horrified, as it started to light the grounds.

"Lupin, no, Lupin," I breathed as Draco shoved me back into the shadow of the doors. "Draco, I have to go, I have to!" I punched his back as he flung an arm out to keep me where I was, even though he knew I could get away.

"Jenny, listen, if you go out there, you won't have any weapon except for your teeth and claws. Anyone might try to attack you-" He broke off as a howl pierced the night, and I listened hard. It didn't sound like Lupin at all, it wasn't deep enough.

"That's not Lupin." I said sharply, my hand tightening on the doorframe I was gripping in a sudden fear. "He has a werewolf on his side," I breathed stupidly, watching the moonlit field, trying to think. Instantly, I started taking off guns, ammo and sliding out knives, making a pile.

"Jenny, Jenny, listen to me, Jenny, _think,_" Draco pressed constantly, still jinxing people, but I ignored him until I was only in a jumpsuit.

"Draco," I interrupted him, "I love you so much, it hurts." I said, then kissed the back of his head and ducked under his arm, making it down three steps before I froze in the moonlight. The cold needles pierced my skin, filling my bloodstream. The cold rebounded from my brain and with a pop and the shredding of the jumpsuit, I was a wolf. With a snarl, I leapt off the steps and bounded onto the grounds, slashing Death Eaters as I passed them, trying to do it in front of as many Order wizards and students as possible, then purposely not attacking them, trying to convey the message that I was on their side.

I could smell Lupin, he had transformed, but I could also smell the disgusting, hulking scent of another wolf. I darted towards them, especially because I could smell the blood of both, my pelt turning the color of pearls in the moonlight as I streaked as fast as I could go. Finally, I found them in a ball, clawing and biting each other. I waited until they broke apart before leaping over Lupin and bringing down my claws on the enemy werewolf's head, slashing the tip of his ear off. The other wolf roared and bucked, sending me flying upwards as Lupin attacked it. I landed on top of the fight between them and was sent spinning out of the fight as one of them kicked out.

The wolf slashed strongly and caught Lupin in the shoulder, making him trip and fall. Just as the wolf raised its paw for a death blow, I bowled him over, biting deeply into his neck and scratching his back at the same time. We rolled over and over, him thrashing on top as I bit down harder until I hit bone, the wolf screeching and kicking until he rolled forwards and threw me off, sending me flying over a small hill. Seconds later, the wolf landed on me, biting and snarling. As soon as his teeth connected with my skin, I screeched. I couldn't remember what it felt like from the last time it had happened, and it _hurt._ After a stunned moment, I wiggled out of his hold and swiped hugely at his face, my claws snagging slightly as I went deep through his muzzle. Trying not to think about Lupin, I launched myself at the wolf again. We tumbled past Lupin once more, and though I tried to sneak a glance at him, we went by to quickly. The enemy wolf slashed down hard and barely nicked my back leg, but with a tearing noise, he ripped out some of my coat, then some skin. Panting, I scrambled back to my feet to see the wolf bounding _towards_ the rest of the fighting.

That was odd. If he was wild, he would have tried to kill me before running away…which meant he was going for innocents—With a howl, I pushed myself to run faster than ever before, a silvery blond bullet across the grounds, wizards shouting in fear and surprise as I darted past them, until I caught up to the enemy wolf. He had cornered two girls, who were firing hexes at him with no effect. Skidding to a stop, I seized his tail in my jaws and bit down until I felt my teeth breaking bones. The wolf roared and whirled around, his claws slicing through the air. I dove low, almost sliding on my front, and cut deep into his belly, making him fall on top of me, biting and kicking, until we were in a ball again. I could hear the girls screaming and hexing, but all of their spells bounced off us. "Oh my god!" I heard other voices yell, and the sounds of the fight dimmed around us as wizards turned to watch. Finally, I hooked my claws into his pelt and _threw_ him away, snapping and breaking trees in half as he flew. "Oh Merlin, oh Merlin, _oh Merlin,_" one of the girls whimpered continuously as I glanced at them for only a moment. Then I turned and jumped as the other wolf jumped at me, and we reengaged the fight.

"_JENNY!" _Someone bellowed, but I ignored it, yelping and then howling in pain when the other wolf slashed my side. Furious, I snapped at him and bit down hard on his tail again, until I felt it come off. Spitting blood out of my mouth, we continued to slice little bits out of each other, rolling through duels we were oblivious to. Shouts and flashes of light barely registered in my head as we fought viciously. In a move that unbalanced me, the wolf knocked me over, and then stepped hard on my chest, snapping at my face as I slashed at its neck, trying to get him off. With one paw, he held my head down to the side, and leaned down to bite my neck when I stiffened. Brian was running towards our fight, shouting something I couldn't hear, raising a gun. The wolf on me seemed to chuckle, then launched itself at him, and Brian shout of pain was strangled as I forced myself to get up. The wolf turned to look at me with triumph in his eyes.

Brian was dead, his face still full of shock. I couldn't pull my eyes off of his body. It was my fault that he was kidnapped, forced into the wizarding world, forced to fight. His death was my fault. I could still remember those innocent days in the over-air conditioned karate studio. He had taught me to incorporate kick-boxing moves into my karate, which had saved my life on more than one occasion—The wolf flew into me, sending us both rolling over the grounds again. My brain unexpectedly started working again, and hot rage and grief flashed down my spine, sending adrenaline flying in my blood stream. With new found strength, I pinned the enemy wolf and without hesitation, reached down and bit out his throat.

Only when I was sure that it was dead, I limped as fast as I could back over to Lupin. He was where I left him, trying to push himself up on a rock. I darted over and nudged him up with my muzzle in his ribs, supporting him until he managed it on his own. Then I frantically sniffed over the huge six claw marks trailing completely over his shoulder. Lupin lightly butted my head away, and for a second, are noses touched, sending a strange flash down my nerves, turning my world green for a second. My head felt strangely echo-y, like someone was tapping on a microphone lightly but continuously in my head.

_What the hell was that?_ I started as I heard Lupin's voice in my head, and he flinched at the same time, making him wince and lick his shoulder quickly.

_**Lupin?**_I felt extremely foolish asking my head, but I did, and his head snapped up to look at me.

_Jenny, was that __**you? **_Lupin looked at me, his eyes wide, and I nodded slowly. _Merlin's beard… _He thought slowly, and it sounded like he was trying to think.

_I don't know who it was, but the wolf for Voldemort definitely knew who he was, he was attacking Order members only, and-_ I broke off as I remembered Brian. Instead of crying, my ears flattened all the way down to my head, which suddenly bowed.

_And?_ Lupin sounded worried.

_Brian saw him attacking me and ran over. He was k-killed in the fight._ I closed my eyes. Lupin licked my forehead after a moment.

_I'm sorry._ Was all he said, and we sat there for a moment before I remembered that the war was still raging.

_You're hurt, are you alright? _Lupin took a cautious step forward, and I bowed my head to catch his torso again as his shoulder trembled and then collapsed under the weight of his bulk. _Come on, we have to get you back in the castle._ I moved to his right side, letting him lean on me in between steps. Occasionally, he would sink down as I fiercely fought off Death Eaters in our path and if they were dueling in front of us, then continued helping Lupin back inside. It wasn't safe anymore, but it was safer than on the grounds. I could hear what sounded like Giants fighting as I slowly helped Lupin up the steps. It seemed with each step I had to stop to kill more Death Eaters that sent hexes at us, swarming us.


	12. Breathe Into Me

Breathe Into Me

_And this is how it looks when I am standing on the edge_

_And this is how I break apart when I finally hit the ground_

_And this is how it hurts when I pretend I don't feel any pain_

_And this is how I disappear when I throw myself away_

Jenny

5/2/11

3:12 a.m.

The Death Eaters swarmed closer until I had to kick groups of them away at a time. Wizards who recognized us formed a ring around the Death Eaters, trying to hex them away, and after a moment, killed some of them and diverted their attention away from us, allowing me to finish getting Lupin inside the castle. After some leading on his part, we found ourselves in a deserted chamber off of the Entrance Hall, giving him privacy and security. _I need to find Draco and keep fighting, ok? Will you be alright here on your own? I have to-I have to go avenge Brian._ I swore, and hearing the anger in my voice, Lupin sounded cautious when he replied.

_I'll be fine, but Jenny, wait, Jenny! _He managed to shout in his head at me as I ran away. I couldn't even address the new mind connection now, there wasn't enough time to think about it. I had to find Draco and make sure he was alright. Brian's death sparked a terrible round of thoughts. What if Draco was dead, or Hermione, or anyone from the Order? Before I could get too far, Voldemort's voice echoed through the air again.

"You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat you injured."

I stopped listening as he threatened Harry, and skidded into the Great Hall, grabbing any remaining Death Eaters by their necks and throwing them out down the steps. I wanted them to be punished, to die as Brian and so many others had, but there was no time. I had to make sure Draco was still alive, and that Lupin was treated. I had to find my friends and family and make sure they were safe. I darted back inside, ignoring the usual screams and shouts of surprise and fear as I slid down the hall and into the room Lupin was in. I helped him stand again, then we walked slowly into the Great Hall. It was deathly silent until we came in, and half of the crowd stood up, quickly drawing their wands until with relief, I saw Tonks stand up on a table. "Don't harm them, alright? Both are on our side, they work for the Order! Both know who they are and won't attack anyone!" Muttering and shooting us glances, most of the wizards sat back down, backing away.

Tonks ran over and shadowed us as I walked Lupin over to where Madam Pompfrey and a group of helpers were healing the injured as fast as they could. Lupin flopped down with a sigh, making a centaur next to him shift nervously. "Thank _Merlin_ you are both safe," She knelt and buried her face into Lupin's coat. He started to rumble a purr, wrapping her in his tail.

"Jenny!" Draco's voice made me turn and bow my head over Draco's back as he hugged one of my legs. My own purr instantly started up, but stopped as he pulled back, looking at his hands. They were covered in my blood from some wound on my back. He danced around me, muttering "_Episkey!_" multiple times under his breath until he was satisfied. Then he hesitated in front of me. "Jenny, Brian is dead." He said lowly, and I bowed my head, nodding it slowly, ears flattening. I was, feeling that torturing grief I was so used to fill my heart until I thought it would burst. He tugged on some of my fur until I stood up and silently followed him, people scattering as we approached the line of dead. Brian looked like he was sleeping, except for the long claw mark going all the way across his body, and the dark blood stain on his clothing. Before I could stop myself, one mournful grieving howl escaped and I collapsed next to him, putting my tail over my head. My body was trembling, but I still couldn't cry.

It was torture. I wanted to speak, to cry, to express the emotion building inside, but no one would understand yips and barks. Revenge didn't even appeal to me anymore; I knew it would be useless. I had nothing but the survivors of some of the danger I had brought upon my own friends and family. I felt Draco lean against me and slowly pet my coat. He knew that Brian had been the last person left from my past that the Death Eaters hadn't killed, but now they had finished the job. _Jenny, I'm sorry._ Lupin's 'voice' came to me before the sound of his paws as he came over and I could sense him standing near me. I unwound my tail and then my leg, Draco standing up slowly, a hand on my head after I raised it to meet Lupin's gaze.

_They're all gone. _I thought it so quietly, he almost didn't catch it. Sighing, he settled his massive bulk down next to mine. _I thought I had saved Brian, but I only made things worse for him. He had to watch as Draco and I obviously got closer. He found out tonight about us, and then the war started. I didn't get to explain fully until-until the wolf got off of me and slashed him down._ _He didn't belong here._

_The ones we love are never truly gone, Jenny. _Lupin thought quietly, but I just returned my gaze back to Brian.

_I'm a curse, Lupin. Wherever I go, people die, people that I love. And in return, all I can do is get angry enough to murder the ones responsible, and then I realize what I've done wrong, only for someone else close to me to die, to start the reaction over again._

_Don't say that-_

"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down you lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone. The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman, or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."

Silence filled the hall, and I rose uncertainly. It had to be a lie, it had to be a trick. Everyone looked at each other, unsure as well. I spotted Hermione and Ron and without thinking I got up and in a few bounds, pulled up beside Ron. Hermione took a deep breath and took Ron's hand, and I walked behind them, only stopping to let Draco swing up on to my back. Slowly, everyone exited the Entrance Hall and fanned out on the steps. Lupin stopped beside me, Tonks on his back, her face cold, yet her eyes full of pain. As if from a mist, Death Eaters started appearing, then Voldemort, and then a man who wasn't a giant, but he wasn't a man. In his arms was Harry, and I could tell he was dead. Despair washed over me like a tidal wave, pushing down on me and filling my chest. My claws extended and dug into the rock.

"Harry! HARRY!" Ron bellowed, one arm around Hermione, the other hand holding his wand limply by his side. A deep growl grew in my chest until my teeth bared into a snarl.

_Jenny, do you smell that?_ Lupin's voice was drowning in misery, but once I inhaled, I froze. Two more wolves were on his side, I could smell them pacing in the back. Voldemort's voice dulled in my ears as my vision narrowed and sharpened into the mist concealing the wolves, until I could see the outlines of them, making my low growl stop abruptly. These wolves were _huge_, almost bigger than Lupin.

_Do you see them too? They're almost bigger than you. This isn't going to be easy. If anything-_

_I see them._ Lupin interrupted me, his low rumbling growl starting up again, his ears flattening back, the edge of his lip curling up in a slow snarl. A bang sounded, and I saw a student's wand fly into the air and disappear, but my gaze snapped back to the wolves. Both had stopped prowling and sat down side by side, watching us. Suddenly, the giant on our side lumbered into view, and more troops above us started firing hexes as centaurs from the forest stampeded out of it and fired into the crowd of Death Eaters. Lupin and I seemed to crouch at the same time, shaking to force our passengers off, ignoring questions, and leapt down through the fray, the final two wolves snaking through the crowd towards us. "JENNY!" I heard Draco bellow after me, but I ignored that too, putting on an extra bust of speed then throwing myself at my opponent, even though he was two sizes bigger than me. The force of his bulk slamming into me threw us backwards, wizards and centaurs scattering out of the way of our little bundle of teeth and claws. This wolf was bigger and stronger, but I was faster. His deep snarls hung in the air, attracting attention.

If I had thought for one second that the fight with the wolf previously had been difficult, this wolf presented a whole new challenge. His claws raked out bits of my golden fur everywhere as I constantly nipped and swiped at the more sensitive areas on a wolf, the stomach, tail and face. With a sudden roll sideways, there were suddenly two more wolves. Our fight had collided with Lupin's, sending fur, teeth and claws everywhere. As we broke apart, I found myself under a new wolf with a flaming red pelt that was as fast as I was. The bangs of the general fight were getting dimmer, they must have moved inside. With all the force I could muster, I slammed my opponent against the stone wall of Hogwarts and sliced a deep cut right across his forehead, invoking a roar from him, and a snarl from me as we spun in a dangerous dance, trying to hit one another into the wall of windows to try to deliver a death blow.

The red wolf squirmed and then bit down hard on my left ear, making me howl, then scream as his teeth passed deeper and deeper. With a roar, he tore it off, spitting it off to the side, giving me just enough time to slash at his ribs. With a vicious snarl, he used his weight to pin me, snarling in my face then yelping as I slashed at his lower belly before he could bite out my throat. The wolf seemed to heave, then he sunk his claws into my chest, making me screech again, but the sound was more strangled this time. The blood pouring from my ear was taking its toll, and the sharp punctures from this wolf's claws sent my head spinning, filling it with a strange burning sensation. As fast as I could force my arm to move, as the wolf bent down to bite out my throat, I slashed one claw across his throat, making him freeze as the vein there was ripped through by my claw. His blood left no color on his pelt as he staggered backward, making me yelp as his claws were drawn out. He staggered and fell over, just as the sun broke over the horizon, it's light hitting my skin, sending red hot shivers to every inch of my skin.

With a groan, my world shrank, and then with another pop, I was lying on the grass, a human again, new pains flaring down my nerves. I forced my hand up to cup my left ear, and instead felt a sticky mass of warm blood, and a hole. A flash of light hit my foot and after a moment, I had clothing on. I went to sit up, but Draco's face appeared, and a sure hand rested on my shoulder, keeping me still. "Jenny, it's ok, its over. He's dead, Voldemort's d-" Two hands grabbed him and yanked him back, his wand falling next to me as I propped myself up, then staggered upright in horror, snatching Draco's wand. A man I didn't know had Draco over his knee, his teeth sinking into the side of Draco's neck. My wand hand seemed to rise of its own accord.

"_Avada Kedavra!" _I shrieked, and the jet of green light hit the man in the face. He fell as I ran to Draco's side, hardly breathing as I raised the wand again with a shaking hand. "_Episkey!" _My voice trembled as the bite stopped bleeding, but didn't heal. I dropped the wand and lightly shook Draco. "Draco, Draco, can you hear me?" My voice cracked from its night of abuse, and from the tears falling from my eyes. I wasn't angry anymore, my spells weren't working. I had to find someone to heal the bite on his neck. Draco's eyes flickered then opened, focusing on my face.

"Jenny," he croaked, and then clenched his teeth for a moment "I changed my mind," He mumbled, but I listened closer anyway, even if he was becoming delirious. "I want to marry you now." He mumbled, and then hissed in pain. I laughed, and it was shaky, but it made a weak grin appear on his face. Footsteps came over, and then Lupin was on my other side. Blood was dripping off of his nose, but other than that, he seemed to be alright.

"He was bitten, I tried to stop the bleeding-" I trailed off pathetically as Lupin's face turned cold. Unconsciously, I took Draco's hand and held it tightly.

"He will be a werewolf, there is no doubt." Lupin said in a defeated tone of voice, making me freeze.


	13. Listen To Your Heart

Listen to Your Heart

_and there are voices_

_that want to be heard_

_so much to mention_

_but you can't find the words_

_the scent of magic_

_the beauty that's been_

_when love was wilder than the wind_

Jenny

5/2/11

5:43 a.m.

"What?" I gasped. "That's impossible, the full moon is over!" Lupin shook his head sadly.

"The only reason you changed before a full moon is because you were bitten so many times. A werewolf's magic is always stronger _after _the full moon, not before. This will change Draco." Lupin's voice echoed to me from what seemed like miles away. This could not be, Draco didn't deserve the suffering that would come with being a werewolf. I put my face in my hands, resting them on Draco's chest and wept.

I wept for him, for Brian, for my Muggle family and friends, and everyone who had died at the battle, and under Voldemort's hand. I hadn't cried for their deaths when they had happened, but now I could not stop crying. My body was vibrating it was trembling so hard; my back heaving with silent sobs. "Remus?" I heard Tonks calling, her voice getting louder, until I heard her run over and stop a few feet away.

"Draco was bitten." Lupin's voice sounded like the day Draco's parents had rescued me form Voldemort, the same chilling voice, full of grief. I heard Tonks gasp almost silently before I was drowning in my tidal wave of grief once more, sound vanishing, and my vision fading until there was nothing but my grief and the searing weight in my chest.

Hermione

5/2/11

5:45 a.m.

The hall had fallen into warm chatter, some of it full of bittersweet nostalgia, but nonetheless, the war was over. Ron's arm was around my shoulder, and I was leaning into him, sitting at a table full of anyone and everyone, no one was sitting according to House anymore. "Oh, no…" Hannah Abbott muttered, looking past us. Ron and I both turned to see out of the remains of the windows in the Great Hall a small knot of people outside. I could distinguish Jenny because of her long blond hair instantly. She was curled in a ball on what looked horribly like a body that had blond hair… I slipped out of Ron's grasp and found my pace increasing until I was running from the Hall, barely noticing people turning to watch me go, Ron pelting after me as I almost flew down the steps, slipping in the dewy grass to turn the corner, getting closer to the scene. About eighty feet apart were two bodies of disgustingly huge and hairy men that had to be the two werewolves Jenny and Lupin had been fighting. In between them I found Tonks, Lupin and Jenny, who was crying over Draco, who wasn't moving. The left side of Jenny's hair, which looked like she had been caught in a wind storm, was covered in blood, and it was dripping off of her arm onto the grass.

"He's not…dead, is he?" I heard myself whispering, and felt my knees almost buckle in relief when Tonks shook her head silently as Lupin cautiously put a hand on Jenny's back. I immediately felt a deep pang of pity for her; she had not had an easy life the past year, with deaths, torture and constant travel. I had heard of Brian's death in the Great Hall as I visited Fred's body with Ron and George. Brian had been right next to him, the long slash on his torso making me wince.

"Jenny," Lupin said in a low voice, the sound feeble from his night as a wolf. Jenny just kept shuddering, occasionally making a quiet gasping noise. "Jenny," Lupin tried again, but it seemed that Jenny was deaf with grief. The one person that had been with her from the beginning, her lover was going to be cursed, just like her. The one thing Jenny had feared the most for Draco had happened right in front of her. I felt my hand instantly fall down to grasp Ron's, feeling inexplicably protective all of a sudden, and lucky to have him. "Jenny, can you hear me?" Lupin's voice was sinking lower as his vocal cords refused to project sound, but fear was building slowly in his voice. Then I noticed that Jenny was crying so hard, she was hyperventilating, but yet, not. Her breaths were fewer and fewer with each second, but they were shuddering gasping breaths, like when I had seen her after Malfoy Manor. "Oh Merlin," Lupin swore when he went to pick her up, and I gasped. Jenny's ear was gone, and the front of her clothes was saturated with blood from six deep holes in her chest, wounds I hadn't even seen because she had been bent over.

"Go get help, _now!"_ Tonks shouted, crouching next to Lupin as Jenny fell over. I turned around and ran faster than before back up to the castle, almost shoving people aside in the Great Hall to get to Madam Pompfrey.

"Madam Pompfrey," I gasped, "We need you now, it's urgent, Jenny and Lupin were fighting werewolves on Voldemort's side, and both are hurt, Draco's been bitten and Jenny's bleeding everywhere, please, hurry-" She swept past me without another word, ending my rant as she picked up her skirt and ran.

"Hermione, what-?" Mrs. Weasley started as I rushed past her after Madam Pompfrey.

"What's happening?" I heard someone else ask, and I heard feet follow me as I ran back to where Jenny was. Madam Pompfrey was kneeling next to her, looking grim.

"-she'll have to go to St. Mungo's," she was saying, but Lupin was shaking his head fiercely.

"They won't take her, she's a Muggle and a werewolf, plus she's still 'wanted' for murders!" Mrs. Weasley gasped next to me at his words and turned around, running back to the castle. "You have to try, do whatever you possibly can, and _hurry._" Lupin stressed as Madam Pompfrey just sat there for a moment, then seemed to come to life.

"_Curatio Vox." _Madam Pompfrey said, her voice trembling, and a orange light fell from her wand tip onto Jenny's torso, the light disappearing into the stab wounds, and traveling up to her ear, healing scratches bruises and bite marks. As she was doing this, I heard more people hurriedly crossing the lawn.

"What's going on?" Harry asked next to me. I turned and saw a crowd of people flowing from the castle across the lawn to the growing knot of people behind me.

"We all heard the werewolves fighting outside when you were dueling with Voldemort, but we just assumed that Jenny and Lupin won the fights. They did," I added quickly, seeing the look on his face, "but, both of them are hurt, and Draco was bitten. Lupin says he'll turn." Harry looked at me in shock. I squeezed Ron's hand as I continued. Lupin can go to St. Mungo's, but they won't take Jenny because…of who she is." I finished angrily, turning back around to see Madam Pompfrey levitating Draco with her wand.

"-you can't possibly carry her, Lupin, are you out of your mind?" She snapped at Lupin, who was stooping to pick up Jenny. He couldn't hide his grimace from the movement from Madam Pompfrey or his wife. Madam Pompfrey turned and scanned the crowd, then raised her voice. "Arthur, will you come here a moment?" She called, and Mr. Weasley hurried past us and over to Tonks, Madam Pompfrey and Lupin. "I need you to carry Miss Quinty to the hospital wing, it's imperative that we get there soon. Lupin and Mr. Malfoy need treatment as soon as possible as well." She said briskly, and Mr. Weasley carefully knelt and picked Jenny up. He let out his breath sharply when he saw the missing ear and his eyes traveled down to the blood stained shirt, the bruises, scrapes and scratches; the huge bite marks, and the spots on her skin where the skin had been ripped away. They were all slowly healing of their own accord, thanks to Madam Pompfrey. "Out of the way please!" Madam Pompfrey called, and the crowd parted, muttering. I instantly started to follow them.

"It's that psycho girl-"

"She's the one who murdered all the Death Eaters-"

"Wasn't she one of the wolves-?"

Pushing through the crowds and their comments, I followed them, Ron and Harry after a moment of talking, hurrying behind me too. Madam Pompfrey levitated Draco onto a bed. He was already paler than usual, the one bite on his neck standing out on his pristine skin. Other than the bite, there were no visible blemishes or scars to be seen. Mr. Weasley gingerly set Jenny on a bed, and after checking Draco one more time, Madam Pompfrey pulled the curtains around her bed. I started to pace nervously as Lupin winced when he sat down on a bed. He had a two large bite marks on his head, and a few scratches here and there, but he was exhausted, I could see it in his face. "He had three werewolves for the fight tonight. I was fighting one earlier in the night, but it caught my shoulder. Jenny killed the first wolf and then got me back to the castle. That's why I was limping." He answered Tonks question before she answered it, and she took his hand, looking lost.

"I'm just glad you are alright. I just don't know how I'm going to tell the Malfoy's that their son was bitten." Everyone in the hospital wing glanced at Draco for a moment. She suddenly bit her lip, then mumbled, "And if Teddy changed, if he inherited the gene." Lupin's face turned to stone. Madam Pompfrey came out from behind the curtain and approached us slowly. She started healing Lupin without a word, but then spoke in a rush.

"I don't know if what I've done is enough. It's sustained her for now, and I'll give her some potions, but there were a lot of internal injuries."

"Like what?" Tonks asked after a moment, sounding sick.

"One of her lungs was punctured. Her heart," she swallowed, "on the other hand, had quite a lot of damage. The magic in her blood was probably the only thing that saved her before I got there. She's lost a lot of blood."

"And an ear." Mr. Weasley added quietly after a moment, and Tonks shuddered.

"She's lucky she didn't loose a limb. The first wolf and the one that," Lupin glowered, "hurt her this badly were both a lot heavier and stronger than her."

"I thought you said she only fought two?" Ron asked, startling me. I had almost forgotten that he and Harry were here.

"She started out fighting my opponent, but we switched somehow in the fight," Lupin explained, his voice heavy, and turned his gaze onto the curtained bed. Then he held up his left hand, and it was then that I noticed that half of his pinky was gone. Tonks swore and reached across the bed to cradle the hand. "I lost it earlier in the night." He said, then grimaced as Madam Pompfrey handed him a potion as she passed from her office back to Jenny's bed.

"But it's over," I said softly. "She can finally be safe." Lupin scowled.

"I wouldn't be so sure. Society still is prejudiced against werewolves, and even though she was killing the enemy, she doesn't seem any less crazy to them. I wouldn't be surprised if they still tried to modify her memory, saying that we have all broken Wizarding Secrecy Laws in keeping her alive." He said coldly.

"But that's ridiculous!" Mr. Weasley said furiously.

"But that's the way it is." Lupin said bitterly.


	14. Caligulove

Caligulove

_Darling, _

_a sensitive soul is just, _

_a tyrant who enslaves, _

_all those around him, _

_to make certain he _

_is hurt, always_

Hermione

5/2/11

3:26 p.m.

After a good sleep and some healing by Madam Pompfrey, I stayed in the hospital wing with Ron and Harry, waiting with Tonks and the Weasley's. The Malfoy's were on their way, bringing Teddy with them. Bill and Fleur had flooed home and told them the whole story, and both were devastated that Draco had been bitten. According to Lupin, his transformation would start soon, and just thinking about it made memories of Jenny's transformation come rushing back. The mood in the wing was one of quiet despair. None of the Weasley's could shake Fred's death, especially George.

I looked up from my hands as Madam Pompfrey pushed the curtain around Jenny's bed away, looking worried. Everyone stood up at varying levels of speed, glancing at Lupin, who was currently asleep. Jenny's face was almost as pale after her incident with the bear-trap. Her hair had been combed and pulled back, leaving her missing ear in clear view, making most of the Weasley's glance at George, who had an unreadable expression on his face. Madam Pompfrey checked bandages on her chest and frowned. "This is out of my hands. We have to at least try to admit her to St. Mungo's. It's her heart," she added as several people opened their mouths to ask questions. "Her heart was stabbed twice, on each side from two different claws."

"But what about Lupin and Draco? Lupin could go with her, but Jenny wouldn't want to leave Draco to change without anyone here. Draco could change personalities if no one helps him through this that has experience." Mr. Weasley said firmly. He crossed over to her bed and looked at her a moment. "How long could we keep her here? Her transformation was what, an hour, maybe two?"

"It was an hour and a half. I don't know if we can, it will be incredibly risky-" Madam Pompfrey broke off as Jenny stirred, then gasped and sat up straight. "Jenny, it's alright, take it easy," she said hastily yet calmly as Jenny's teeth locked and her head drooped when she hissed through her teeth in pain. Madam Pompfrey gingerly propped her up.

"Draco…Draco, is he alright? Is Lupin…healed?" Voice cracking, she stopped up short upon seeing Harry. "Impossible," she gasped painfully, putting a hand on her chest. I shared a confused glance with Ron until it hit me.

"Oh, of course! You were fighting and then you got hurt. You didn't know that Harry never died. Everyone is safe Jenny, I promise." I hurriedly came over and took Mr. Weasley's place next to her, Madam Pompfrey hovering on the other side.

"Draco…the transformation, has it started?" Jenny asked slowly, breathing weirdly.

"Not yet, but you need to calm down and stop talking. You were stabbed _six_ _times_ in the torso, and some hit your heart and lungs. They haven't healed all the way. I am not that experienced of a Healer. We would have sent you straight to the wizard hospital, St. Mungo's, but—" Four beds down, Draco's body suddenly stiffening stopped her up short. She immediately started over there, and Jenny went to follow her, but groaned and grabbed her chest, falling back when she flung the covers off and tried to get up.

"Jenny," I started quickly, "Jenny, stay where you are, I'll get you over there, but if you move, you'll hurt yourself further, alright?" Jenny nodded, breathing shallowly with her eyes closed. Her hand hadn't left her chest. "Will someone pick her up and move her? _Now,_ please?" I asked, and after a moment, Mr. Weasley came back over and carefully picked her up and carried her down the ward, everyone migrating down the same way. He set her down in the bed next to Draco's, and after some magical maneuvering, put them right next to each other. Jenny felt outward with her hand, eyes still closed until she found Draco's, feebly taking his and squeezing it. After a moment of silence, he inhaled sharply, his eyes fluttering open.

"Draco…look at me." Jenny said softly, and he turned his head to look at her, starting to frown when she didn't open her eyes. "I know it…was cold, and now…it's getting hotter. I know it's starting…to burn. But…you have to…keep your memories in your head…think…about them…all the time." When she started to wheeze, Madam Pompfrey put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"I thought…you'd be at a hospital." Draco said through gritted teeth with obvious effort.

"Everyone still thinks she's a criminal, but if push comes to shove, we are going to try to get her admitted. Madam Pompfrey has done all she can." Mrs. Weasley said as reassuringly as possible to the both of them as Jenny's eyes opened in surprise.

"What's going on?" Lupin was getting out of bed down the ward, and he limped halfway, then Tonks caught up and helped him along. He saw Draco and swore quietly, going to his side as he convulsed, throwing his head back, eyes squeezed shut.

"Focus on my voice," Jenny whispered quickly. "Focus on me…I know…you can." She added as Draco groaned.

"I need to go," Harry said suddenly, and I turned to look at him, furious for leaving until he explained himself hastily, seeing the glares he was getting. "If I go and try to charm the staff at St. Mungo's, maybe they'll take her. After all, I'm supposed to be the 'Hero of the Wizarding World'." Harry said dryly.

"Then I'll take Jenny with you. There is no time to waste." Madam Pompfrey said briskly, but Jenny shook her head faintly as Draco started to tremble.

"No! I'm…staying…here." Jenny panted, squeezing Draco's hand tighter. He yelled out in pain and she flinched. "Draco…I love you, I know that…you can do this." She gasped for air and his eyes opened to look at her.

"Go," he groaned, "Go, Jenny."

"If you don't, Jenny, I don't know how I'll keep you alive." Madam Pompfrey said with difficulty.

"But, Draco…I can't…leave…now. I…can't." She whispered, but I could hear the defeat in her voice. Madam Pompfrey Summoned a stretcher as she said it and Mr. Weasley picked her up again, slowly letting her down to lay flat.

"Go, go now." Lupin looked torn, looking from Draco to Jenny. I knew he wanted to go with Jenny, to make sure she got the care she needed, but that would leave Draco alone to transform leaving room for him to potentially change into a very feral and wild person, like Greyback. Madam Pompfrey started off instantly, the stretcher floating along side her. After a hesitation, I followed. We stopped in Madam Pompfrey's office.

"Now listen closely. I'm afraid to take Jenny in the Floo Network because of the ash and her lungs. The quickest way is to Apparate, so that is what we'll do." She rapped her wand on a medicine cabinet and it wavered away to reveal a roomy passageway that she immediately started downward with out a backward glance. The walk was short and silent before we found ourselves in a chamber off of the Entrance Hall. Struggling to keep up with Madam Pompfrey's brisk pace, Harry and I broke into a light jog as we descended the steps and walked the short distance until we could Apparate. "We're going to Apparate now, Jenny, are you ready?" Madam Pompfrey asked placidly.

"Just do it," Jenny breathed, and after a moment, they vanished, Harry and I turning on the spot to follow them. When we got there, Madam Pompfrey was fretting over Jenny, who, if I didn't know her better, seemed to be having an asthma attack.

"The pressure from the Apparition…no time to waste, come along," She started out again, faster this time. Where we had appeared was the sick ward for wizards who could take themselves to the hospital. Madam Pompfrey marched right up to the desk. "Alfred," she said crisply, and the man with wispy blond hair sitting there looked up and smiled.

"Ah, Poppy! What can I do for you?" He asked.

"I have a patient here who needs medical attention as soon as possible." She said, and he instantly got up, walking around his desk, but stopped up short when he saw Jenny.

"Oh, my," he squeaked, and Madam Pompfrey made an impatient noise.

"The full moon was yesterday, Alfred, and even if she wanted to hurt us, which she doesn't, she's hurt to badly to even stand up." She said firmly, but he started to shake his head.

"I cannot allow it, I'm sorry, Poppy, but I simply can't-"

"Listen," Harry said fiercely but quietly, putting a hand on the stretcher to lean closer to the man, "Jenny has saved my life more than once already. I've known her for awhile, and she wouldn't-"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Potter," Alfred was flushing now, "but she has slaughtered over twenty people in such a _crude_ fashion-"

"Death Eaters," Jenny rasped, making him flinch wildly, "I only…harm…Death-" She broke off with a wet sounding cough, and Madam Pompfrey frowned even deeper, pushing lightly on her chest and immediately withdrawing her fingers when Jenny inhaled sharply, making her cough again.

"Alfred, she fought just as hard as any wizard yesterday, fighting werewolves on the Dark Lord's side. That's how she was hurt." I said earnestly, and Alfred opened his mouth to say something when two men appeared from nowhere. I recognized one as Dawlish, an Auror, so I assumed the other was an Auror as well.

"We received a tip saying that a dangerous criminal was here, and I see now that it was right." Dawlish said with a smirk, withdrawing his wand.

"Look at her, does she look dangerous to you right now?" Madam Pompfrey snapped impatiently, but he ignored her.

"Jenny Quinty is wanted for the murders of the Malfoy's, the Lestranges, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Nott, Crabbe and Goyle as well as countless-" He started, but Harry cut him off angrily.

"The Malfoy's are not dead, they are in hiding. And you can't possibly say that the Ministry is going to charge her for murdering Death Eaters to help destroy Voldemort! Plus, they kidnapped and tortured her and one of her closest friends, as well as killing off her entire family!" I put a hand on Harry's shoulder and he stopped shouting. By now most of the ward was looking at us curiously. Dawlish's face was bright red.

"What's this rubbish? I never thought I'd see the great Harry Potter making excuses for a crazy Muggle girl who's a werewolf to boot!" said Dawlish's partner.

"I can testify in her defense, as well as the entire Order of the Phoenix and many students of Hogwarts. We aren't lying to you, Williamson. Just please let her get the medical help she needs, and we'll explain everything." Harry said, irritated.

"Explain now, and we might let her in. This still won't make her exempt from formal charges either." Dawlish said finally, and I squeezed Harry's shoulder before he could blow up in their faces. It was at least worth a try.

"Explain quickly, I think her lungs are filling with blood from the lacerations to her heart." Madam Pompfrey said as she listened at Jenny's chest. "And as much as you want to, please don't try and talk, it will only speed things up," she told her, and Jenny nodded faintly, eyes fluttering shut again.

"I met Jenny last summer, and we became great _Muggle_ friends. I realized that I wanted her to be safe if Voldemort actually came to power. I convinced her to say a word I had Tabooed if she was ever in trouble without telling her anything about the wizarding world. Her memories and mine will confirm it. In August, Greyback came to her house for fun, looking to kill her. She said the Taboo and fought him off until members of the Order of the Phoenix could arrive. He bit her, and since we were so close to the full moon, she was changed. We obviously couldn't put her back in her household with a modified memory, and we weren't about to kill her, so the Order started training her as a spy. Disillusioned, she spied within Voldemort's Ministry for information."

"You've broken about _fifty_ laws, missy," Williamson started, but Madam Pompfrey gave him a death glare and he stopped talking.

"For her own safety, we moved her from our headquarters to a safe house after Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had been working at the Order tried to use an Unforgivable Curse on her for standing up for herself against his discrimination towards her. He then went to the Dark Side, and tried to kill her and Remus Lupin when they went out to transform one full moon. After that night, they learned that the two Aurors after Kingsley had stopped checking in. Everyone fled the safe house. After the next full moon, she was kidnapped by Shacklebolt and taken to the Death Eater's headquarters. She was tortured there for a month." Harry took up the story where I left off, shooting a worrisome glance at Jenny when she started to wheeze, a hand on her chest.

"She was rescued by the Malfoy's and brought back to the safe house once we learned that it's location had not been leaked to the Death Eaters. Two weeks into her recovery, she learned that the Death Eaters had gone after her family and killed all of them, and her good friend was missing. She was so angry, she started going after Death Eater's like they had her family. On one excursion, she was faced with what she thought was another Death Eater, but it was her good friend, forced into service to counter her assassinations. They rescued him as well, and continued killing Death Eaters until the battle yesterday." I said quickly, watching Jenny out of the corner of my eye.

"Hurry, _hurry._" Madam Pompfrey stressed. The two Aurors looked at each other.

"Fine, bring her in, but for the safety of the hospital staff and its patients and visitors, she will be treated as if she were a mental patient." Madam Pompfrey looked up furiously as Harry and I glanced at each other, confused.

"That won't be necessary, I can assure you." Madam Pompfrey said stiffly, but Dawlish shook his head.

"Either have her restrained or no treatment at all, make your choice." He said flatly. I looked at Harry as he mouthed, 'restrained?'

"Yes, fine, now _move,_" Madam Pompfrey snapped, pushing Jenny past the desk and into the actual hospital rooms, leaving Harry and I standing there for a moment before darting after them.


	15. Elephants

Elephants

_We're unwanted strangers, _

_exploited and dangerous, _

_unable to hide or even dream of it. _

_Como estas? _

_parting the seas, _

_like lepers who stroll, _

_why you afraid, sweetie?_

Hermione

5/2/11

4:08 p.m.

I slipped into the room, pulling Harry in with me, and we backed into a corner. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Three Healers and Madam Pompfrey were talking quietly but urgently as they cast complex spells and readied bandages. Anger rose inside me as I saw that Jenny was 'medically' restrained, making it impossible for her to move. She wasn't gasping for air anymore, in fact, it looked like she was asleep. After 20 more minutes of activity, the healers left, leaving us alone. "Lupin will be furious, but Dawlish and Williamson made it impossible to get her treated any other way."

"Well, they did a great job, it looks like she's comfortable enough to sleep." Harry noted, then hurriedly looked down as Madam Pompfrey glared at him, then sighed.

"I'm sorry; it's not your fault." She sighed again. "Jenny isn't sleeping. They gave her sedatives in case she tried to 'attack' anyone."

"But that's ridiculous! She couldn't even sit up when she got here! And they can't just drug her like that!" I said furiously, and Madam Pompfrey nodded.

"I know, Miss Granger. Bargaining for medical care is cruel and might have some side affects. Luckily, all of the Healers assigned to her heard you two telling the whole story and are on our side. With some persuasion from the staff, maybe they'll treat her like a normal patient."

"Side affects?" I asked nervously.

"If she is too relaxed under the sedatives, she might not breathe on her own, and she could also go into a coma if they aren't careful with the dosages."

_The burning was consuming everything, making him yell out in pain, too tired to even writhe from the heat. He could barely hear Lupin telling him things. "Jenny, Draco, think about Jenny," He kept saying, and after a while, he did. Holding the memories above the flames by thinking about them, Draco pictured her face, her smile, her laugh. _

"Isn't that against some law? Overdosing on suspicious patients? They're risking her health for some prejudice!" Harry glared at the door, where Williamson and Dawlish were waiting across the hall, watching us.

"If you think for one second that _they,_" she pointed at the Aurors, "see her as anything more than a criminal, even with your explanation, you are wrong. I didn't want to believe Remus…but I see now that he was right." She said quietly, lightly falling into a wicker chair beside Jenny's bed.

"_Not long now, Draco, you'll be alright soon." He heard his mother say, sounding distraught. Someone took his hand and squeezed it. They let go as his hands formed into fists, tendons standing out in his skin as struggled to not scream out loud in agony. _

"_Have we heard? About Jenny?" He huffed painfully, and for a moment, no one said anything._

"_Nothing yet, but they would have returned if she wasn't admitted." He thought he heard his father say with too much confidence._

"Oh, look!" I said, going over to the door as George, Ginny and Percy appeared farther down the hallway, walking towards Jenny's room.

"Can I help you?" Dawlish said coolly as they stopped when he blocked their way.

"Yes, we are here to visit a friend in the hospital." Percy said calmly. Williamson snorted, and Dawlish started to smile.

"I'm afraid the patient you are trying to visit is mentally unstable, dangerous, and a criminal wanted by the Ministry. For your own protection-"

"Jenny is my friend, and if you don't let me in to see her, I swear-" Saving Ginny from getting in prison, I poked my head outside the door.

"Thank you for your cautionary measures, but considering you've made sure Jenny was drugged until she was almost comatose, that isn't necessary." I said frostily, and Dawlish gaped at me, then scowled as Ginny's face turned red, and Percy and George glared at him in shock.

"Fine, go on in," he growled, and I opened the door and ushered the three inside.

"You weren't joking," Ginny said in horror as she crossed the room to Jenny's bed. "I can't believe this; they're treating her like Bellatrix Lestrange!" She raved, starting to pace furiously around the room.

"We match," George said mildly, examining the hole where her ear had been.

_The burning was fading rapidly, bringing darkness in its stead, until Draco felt himself slipping away. But he wasn't afraid, he was afraid for Jenny. That was the last thing he thought about before the numbing darkness silenced his brain._

"Mmm," Jenny murmured, and after a second, her eyes flickered open; slowly taking in the room.

"Are you feeling any better?" Madam Pompfrey asked instantly.

"It doesn't hurt to breathe anymore." She said sleepily. "What time is it?" I glanced at the clock.

"It's 4:35," I said, and a relieved and lethargic smile broke out across her face.

"Draco's done then. Transforming, I mean. Have we heard anything?" She said quietly, and went to sit up and frowned, looking down to see the restraint across her chest, then the 4 cuffs that tied to the bed around her wrists and ankles.

"Jenny, the only way we could get you in was if they treated you like a psychiatric patient. I'm sorry." I explained quickly, and she frowned deeper.

"It was necessary." Said a voice, and when I turned, Dawlish and Williamson were in the doorway. Jenny's eyes narrowed when she saw them, all sleepiness gone.

"_Necessary?_ To the contrary-" Ginny started heatedly, but Williamson talked right over her smoothly.

"I'm afraid all of you will have to leave. We've been given orders to question Quinty to assess her mental state."

"That's not in your jurisdiction, only a trained Healer can perform such a task." Madam Pompfrey said in a steely tone. Dawlish smiled a sick smile.

"I'm afraid that, due to the circumstances, that detail has been overlooked. This won't take long, I assure you." He said slyly, pulling out a flask from under his coat, and I could tell instantly that it was Veritasereum. Jenny went white at the sight of it.

"That's illegal." I said frostily, and Dawlish scowled at me.

"As I said, due to the circumstances and the status of Quinty with the Ministry, we are taking no chances. All of you, _leave._ Now." He said tightly, and with several glares, George, Ginny, Harry and Percy went out to stand in the hall. Neither Madam Pompfrey nor I moved. "Miss Granger, you are not exempt, nor are you, Madam Pompfrey. This is no longer your concern." Dawlish snapped.

"Jenny, it will be alright. No one can hurt you here, not even them." I said as reassuringly as possible as Williamson backed me out the door and into the hallway.

"Madam, if you would." Williamson gestured to the hallway, but Madam Pompfrey set her jaw.

"Drugs of any kind are to be administered by a professional in a hospital setting. At least let me do that." She glanced at Jenny once, who had her eyes closed and was breathing quite shallowly. I knew at once that she was more than afraid.

"Fine. The whole bottle, then get out," I heard Dawlish say nastily. Madam Pompfrey approached Jenny slowly, and with some maneuvering, moved her bed to an upright position. She paused for a moment, looking torn.

"Take a deep breath, Jenny, and calm down. I'm not going to force you to drink this, but you must drink it all. Ready?" Her voice was like ice when she glared at the two Aurors. Jenny did as she told her, then opened her eyes and nodded tightly once. Madam Pompfrey raised the bottle to her lips, and she drank, her eyes closing at the last swallow.

"Close the door on your way out," Williamson instructed, and Madam Pompfrey took one last look at Jenny, then left, closing the door behind her, trembling with rage.

"Never—in all my years—how dare-those-those-" Struggling to finish her sentence, she turned on her heel and stormed away. Moments later, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, Teddy, Lupin and Ron came up the hallway, looking concerned.

"What's going on? Where was Poppy going?" Tonks asked, a supporting arm under Lupin's, and Teddy in her other arm. It was George who answered.

"She got too mad to stay. They took Jenny, but they tied her down and drugged her for 'protection'. Just now, when she woke up, they came in with Veritasereum, demanding to be alone with her for a Ministry Interrogation." Lupin's face turned a shocking color of red in his anger.

"How _dare they._" Mrs. Weasley hissed; her hand on the handle of her wand in her pocket. "They must be breaking some law, some ordinance…" she looked at Percy for help, who shrugged dejectedly.

"No laws I know of have been broken, especially because Jenny isn't technically a citizen. All we can do is wait. I know the standard questions for an interrogation. Hopefully, if they stick to the laws they _have_ to follow, the truth will come out."

Jenny

5/2/11

4:42 p.m.

Trying not to tremble, my heart filling with heavy and suffocating dread, I plastered Draco's face in my mind before I drank. The floating feeling where I remembered nothing instantly returned as soon as the last swallow went down my throat.

"What is your full name?" A voice asked.

"Jennifer Lillian Quinty."

"What is your blood status?"

"I'm a Muggle."

"Are you a werewolf, and if so, for how long?"

"I've been a werewolf since August."

"Why did you start to murder Death Eaters?"

"They kidnapped me and tortured and questioned me repeatedly with Veritasereum and Unforgivable Curses. Also, they killed everyone in my Muggle Family."

"What is a Muggle family?"

"My adoptive Muggle parents are what I consider my Muggle family, along with my friends from that life. I consider Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin as my mother and father now. When the war ended, they were going to adopt me."

"_Adopt you?_" someone spluttered.

"Yes."

"Focus, Williamson, focus! Now, did you spy for the Order of the Phoenix?"

"Yes, in the Ministry."

"Do you want to attack or kill anyone in the Wizarding World?"

"No."

"Are you dangerous as a werewolf?"

"If I don't receive a Wolfsbane Potion, then I don't know who I am when I transform each full moon, which is dangerous for anyone in the vicinity."

"Are you a legal Wizarding Citizen?"

"I am a werewolf, therefore, I am magical. I am not a…a wizard," I blinked, the room suddenly coming into focus. The two Aurors from before were looking at me strangely, and the room was empty except for them, making me tense. I was alone, they had Veritasereum, and I couldn't fight back. I felt my hands start to tremble and I looked down, trying not to cry.

"Further-further questioning will be needed." One of them stuttered, and still looking slightly shell-shocked, the two left, and I heard voices outside. After, my family and friends poured into the room as tears started to fall down my face. The feeling I had dreamed about and loathed for so long was back. I couldn't remember _anything_, I didn't know how long I had been questioned, or what they asked, or- Lupin cradled my face carefully, minding my ear and kissed my forehead, then wiped away the tears.

"It's all going to be alright, Jenny."

"No, they have to do it again, it's _not_ alright." I whispered, and he hugged me, which was awkward, I couldn't hug him back.


	16. Memories

Memories

_All of my memories keep you near_

_In silent moments,_

_Imagining you here._

_All of my memories keep you near,_

_In silent whispers, silent tears._

_All of my memories..._

Jenny

5/2/11

5:03 p.m.

"Jenny, you knew that eventually the truth would need to come out." Lupin said gently, sitting down next to my bed.

"Yes, but I never thought it'd be like _this,_" I tugged at my wrist uselessly in exasperation. "And I thought they would just take my memories, not use Veritasereum." I shuddered at the name, and Lupin took my hand, giving it a squeeze. Lupin was about to answer when Madam Pompfrey came back in, accompanied by two Healers.

"Oh, good, you're alright," Madam Pompfrey twitched nervously in the doorway, the two Healers behind her. "We're here to make sure your chest lacerations have healed with that strap over them." Madam Pompfrey said frostily, but moving aside to let the Healers approach. Lupin cautiously let go of my hand and moved back. One Healer hesitated behind uncertainly, causing the other one to snort and come over, ignoring my flinch when she suddenly raised her wand and tapped it on my chest.

"Much better, much, _much_ better. The punctured lung has almost closed, and the blood leaking from the heart has dissipated. The holes are closing in the heart itself, which is good. Johnson?" She asked her partner, then sighed in annoyance when he didn't move, twisting his wand in his fingers fretfully. "For the love of Merlin, Johnson, the Aurors obviously lied, she didn't try to rip my head off. And she couldn't even try if she wanted to, which I'm sorry about, that must be dreadfully uncomfortable." The woman continued briskly. "Unfortunately, the Aurors are still reviewing their information, and until they clear us, you'll have to stay like that."

Lupin stood up, suddenly looking very happy. "I remember now, you're Betsy Pane! You were the Healer at _my_ transformation!" She turned and looked at Lupin for a moment, then laughed, shaking his hand.

"I should have known you would have shown up here! Is Miss Quinty a friend of yours?" She asked, and Johnson, edged away from Lupin, looking terrified. Lupin looked at me, smiling.

"Tonks and I were actually hoping to adopt Jenny, if she was to be accepted as a citizen. If not, she would live with us just the same." Betsy Pane turned on the spot to look at me.

"When the truth comes out in this, I would be fascinated to know the whole story. I'm only sorry that you've had such a difficult time in the wizarding world, Miss Quinty." Her steely grey eyes were suddenly incredibly kind as she gazed at me. Unlike most people, she looked right into my eyes, not looking at where my ear had been or the three original bites visible. She didn't even look at any of my other scars.

"Thank you, Madam Pane." I said quietly, a new idea suddenly popping into my head. "If I told you that I have a loved one who was recently just changed, would you have any advice for me?" She raised an eyebrow at me, then huffed. I could just picture her with a pipe and a bowler hat; smoking as she thought about my question.

"Only to get him or her as much experience as they can possibly get. Assuming they are a wizard or witch, they would be treated with more…respect than you, but they still wouldn't have an easy journey ahead of them. We," she chuckled, "well, _I_, will be back in later to check on you again. I doubt that Johnson will be back." At the sound of his name, Johnson leapt about a foot in the air, looking around with eyes bugged out in fear. "A great pleasure to meet you, Miss Quinty." Madam Pane turned on her heel and left, Johnson running out after her with a frightened whimper.

"We got incredibly lucky. Betsy Pane is the only Healer I know of who is comfortable around all sorts of creatures. Hopefully she can make more of a case for you. Dawlish and Williamson are obviously trying to make you seem feral, which is utter rubbish." Lupin said, sounding relieved. He came and sat back down next to me. Mr. Weasley conjured more chairs, and everyone sat down around my bed to keep me company.

"So," I struggled to get my thoughts together, the past two days seemed like a blur, and I was sure that the drugs probably hadn't helped. "So the war is over then? Voldemort really is gone?"

"Killed by his own spell. Do you remember when we came over to you and Draco and asked to trade wands?" Harry asked, and I nodded after a moment. "Draco, even though he wasn't the one to actually kill Dumbledore, was the true Master of the Elder Wand. I needed his wand to beat Voldemort, who had the Elder Wand. The Wand wouldn't work against its master, so his Killing Curse rebounded off of my Disarming Charm and hit him. He killed himself."

"Ok," I said slowly, trying to absorb all of this information, "But, you were dead, I saw you!" Harry laughed at that one.

"Do you remember how we were searching for something in the Ministry? That locket was a Horcrux, or a part of Voldemort's soul. He had seven of them. We had to kill all of them before he could be killed for good. The seventh piece was attached to my soul. When his curse hit me, that part died, not me. I was faking."

"Oh," I said stupidly, confused as hell, and he laughed again.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but how did you lose your ear?" George piped up suddenly, and I felt myself chuckle, then frown as I reflexively went to raise my hand to it and couldn't.

"The wolf from Voldemort's side I was fighting towards the end bit it off." Everyone flinched as one when I said 'bit it off'.

"We match though." George said teasingly, tugging on the earlobe of his one remaining ear. I heard myself laugh, and was suddenly really grateful that George could always make me laugh, even in the worst situations.

"I hate to break up the party," My smile instantly vanished when I looked at the doorway to see Dawlish standing there, Williamson right behind him, "but it's time for round two." He didn't sound sorry at all, even when faced with glares from everyone in the room but me. My eyes had fixed themselves on the bottle in his hand, the clear liquid making the blood drain from my face. I could still remember…

_I locked my jaw, refusing to drink. Rodolphus reached for his wand, then stopped, leering at me unpleasantly. He threw me down to the floor, then sat on my chest, straddling my arms down to my sides, making memories of his last night's groping session send terror down my bones. He had gotten so close, __**so**__ close to raping me. He smiled his sick smile, and reached down and plugged my nose. Our eyes locked as he waited for me to breathe, and as I desperately tried not to, my lungs screaming for oxygen. Eventually, my instinct won and I gasped for air. He took that opportunity to seize my throat in one hand and forced the potion down it._

"Jenny, are you alright?" I opened my eyes slowly, just feeling Tonks' hand on my cheek. Her skin felt warm against mine, and I realized I was trembling.

"Fine," I gasped quietly, and I realized I had been holding my breath as if the memory had been real.

"No you aren't. Why don't you just take her memories? Don't you know what Veritasereum does to her?" Tonks asked fiercely, turning on the spot to glare better at the two Aurors.

"We were aware…but memories can be tampered with." Williamson said from the back, and she snorted.

"_Yes,_ but, if you paid attention on Auror training, you would remember that you can tell if they have been!" She snapped, and an odd look mixed with a bright red color on his face.

"Fine." He snapped, putting the Veritasereum away, much to my relief, and pulled something out of his pocket and came over, making everyone scatter out of the way, and making me tense. He set it on the bedside vanity and touched it with his wand. A stone bowl grew from the tabletop until I could see that it was full of a swirling liquid. "All of you, out." He barked, and slowly, they all went out into the hallway, ushered out by Williamson, and then he closed the door and came back over, taking the other side of the bed. I instantly shrank back as far as I could go, every nerve screaming to get up and run. "Do not resist me, let the memories flow forth as I call them." Dawlish put his wand on my temple, making me flinch, then placed his other hand on the other side of my head, a unreadable look crossing his face as he had to place it higher to avoid the hole where my ear had been. Reminding me horribly of what Voldemort had done, he looked intently into my eyes, and suddenly, the room was gone.

"_Jenny, thank Merlin-" Lupin abruptly stopped and hesitated again, as Draco had. I handed him Teddy, then looked at both of them for a moment._

"_What's wrong, don't tell me nothing is wrong, because both of you are freaking out, and it's really starting to worry me." I insisted, and when Draco stepped cautiously forward and put a hand on my shoulder, it sent anxiety flying through me._

"_Jenny…I have some bad news…really-bad-news. I'm so sorry," He said slowly, and I shuddered, quickly closing my eyes. Ever since I had returned to Shell Cottage, I had been paranoid, along with my other problems. I couldn't help but picture all the things that had gone wrong. "Jenny?" I heard him ask, so I looked at him, taking a deep breath._

"_Just tell me," I said quietly, steeling myself as Draco seemed to take a deep breath too. "It can't be that bad, it can't be any worse than what I just went through." I tried to sound convincing, but the look on his face after I said it made my stomach twist. _

"_Jenny…they were having a memorial service for your death, your parents, your old friends and family, your old boyfriend." He swallowed as I looked at him, unsure of what to say. "Death Eaters showed up…and they killed everyone except for Brian…and he's missing. I'm sorry Jenny, I'm sorry." He ended painfully, and I just kept staring at him with a blank stare, my mind screeching to a halt. He had just said that…my family…was dead? All of my friends?_

_Then I started to envision what would have happened…My parents would have insisted that it would have taken place outside; they would always complain how I spent more time outside then I did indoors. It probably would have happened around my…my grave, and I could just picture a grassy hilltop, the sun beaming down strongly, a slight breeze, and everyone I had ever cared about standing around, remembering. Then they would come from nowhere, Apparating and…and-_

I gasped sharply as the memory abruptly cut off, and Dawlish was directing a cloud of the silvery liquid into the bowl. I noticed that Williamson had his wand trained on me constantly, as if they expected me to attack. Dawlish placed his wand on my temple again-

_The torture continued on and on, until the light vanished from the windows, until I was lying on the floor, gasping and trembling as Bellatrix stood over me. She had asked me everything and anything, where Harry, Ron and Hermione were, what they were after, where Aurors were, what I had found out from the Ministry…_

_I hadn't said a word._

"_You leave me no choice, Muggle. "Sectumsempra." She said, and I gasped sharply as I felt cuts appear on my chest, deep burning cuts that turned my white shirt red quickly. Then she disappeared for a moment, only to return with a bottle of clear potion. She forced me up and then into a chair, waving a wand over me. "Immobulus." She said, and I was suddenly frozen. She uncorked the Veritasereum and forced it down my throat._

I was breathing hard, eyes closed, trying not to cry as the memory cut off. Almost immediately, Dawlish dived back into my head, eager for more, it seemed. The memory when I forced myself to push my family and friends from my mind in the basement of Malfoy Manor played through my head. When Dawlish pulled away, I dimly recognized that tears were streaking down my face, which he ignored.

_Greyback suddenly advanced, and his teeth sinking into my shoulder sent ice cold needles in me, making me shudder and gasp. His teeth were numbing the bite site, but the deep dark coldness from the bite was trying to freeze over my brain. No matter how hard I fought back, its icy cold grasp was painfully tight, restraining. His teeth came out, nicking the edges with new coldness until the shocking cold erupted in my side, and the two cold beings combined, pushing with incredible pressure and force on my brain, trying to kill it, take it over…_

"_Pidgewedgon! Pidgewedgon!" I cried hoarsely, feeling my fingers close around a knife in the knife case. I weakly threw it towards the movement in the corner, then, gasping, took the biggest knife in a shaking hand. Trying to stab him in the back, my arm came down and the knife got him right in the neck. Instantly, a spray of blood flew up, blinding me. I felt it in my mouth, all over my face, my torso…_

My eyes closed as I shook with silent sobs when Dawlish finally pulled away. I let my head droop, and felt tears slide off my face and onto my chest, sliding down my neck. "Look at me. _Now._" He said flatly, and forced my chin up when I didn't comply right away. I opened them slowly, to meet his gaze. Like a slap, another memory came forth.

"_Promise me something," I whispered, and __Lupin pulled back, looking cautious, but agreed. "If I ever catch you following me as a wolf, and I attack you, you have to promise me that you'll fight me off, kill me if you have to." Lupin started shaking his head, but I plowed on, voice growing from its whisper to almost a murmur. "Scare me away, hurt me; just make me know that I shouldn't cross paths with you again, no matter what it takes."_

"_I couldn't, I wouldn't. It wouldn't be fair, you won't know who you are, who I am-" Lupin started, and I realized he must have thought of this before. I cut him off anyway._

"_Lupin, I know now that I am worth something here, but you are worth much, much more. Think of it as tough love." I insisted, taking his hands and squeezing them, to keep his attention. "You have to, and you know it. You know that I won't show any lenience to you, so it should be the same." I could tell that the effect of my words was starting to get to him._

"_I told myself I wouldn't, but…if ever the time comes, I'll hesitate, but I'll drive you off." He sounded displeased, but in a depressing way that made me want to take back what I had said, but I needed the security for him._

"_Whatever it takes." I added as forcefully as my emotionally and physically tired body would allow, and he nodded, looking at our hands. "Thank you, Lupin, for everything." I said, and as he stood up, I did too…_

_I was in the bear trap, my head fuzzy, ribs aching; my gasps for air the only noise in the clearing besides the occasional drop of blood falling from my fingertips…_

_Brian was falling under the wolf…_

_I was going through files in Umbridge's office, tucking sheets of paper into my bag…_

_Bellatrix was falling to the floor, Rodolphus and the Minister already dead. The gun felt heavy in my hand, my mind reeling, trying to understand what she had meant about Brian…_

My vision swam back into focus. Dawlish seemed to panting in front of me, poised to take another memory, but seemed incapable of doing so. I was shrunk back as far away from him as I could get, too scared to tremble anymore. I knew my eyes were full of fear, but I refused to look away from him, tears still streaking down my face. He gulped, then pushed onward-

"_Huh?" Confused, I rubbed the scar on my neck absentmindedly, frowning in confusion. Lupin suddenly shoved me aside and whipped out his wand, firing spells into the bushes, and green shots were coming back. I stayed where I was, crumpled on the ground from Lupin's push, confused. The shots stopped, and I heard a popping noise. Lupin swore and kicked around in the bushes for a moment, then took my arm, pulled me up and Apparated. We appeared by cliffs, and I could hear an ocean. "Where are we?" I asked, turning on the spot to look around our dark surroundings. The moon was pushing at the clouds, but everything was dusky._

"_Ennervate." Lupin said sharply, and it felt like someone had slapped my face. I blinked, then looked around and noticed Bill and Fleur's cottage behind Lupin._

"_Lupin, why are we back at the cottage? We have to transform tonight!" I gasped, shocked. Lupin growled something unintelligible and started stalking towards the house. "Lupin, didn't you hear me? We will be turning into wolves tonight, in less than 10 minutes! We can't stay here! Lupin!" I shouted after him when he didn't stop, and ran to follow him…_

_I tackled the other wolf from behind as he tried to corner the two students, the battle raging around us as my claws raked down his pelt, our momentum carrying us across the grounds…_

_I looked in the mirror as Madam Pompfrey healed a large scrape on my arm. The long cut across my face made me look wild and alien. I shuddered as I remembered losing control to the wolf within-but standing up to Kingsley's discrimination had been worth it, he knew that I wouldn't let him treat me like dirt…_

"_CRUCIO!" Bellatrix bellowed, and I groaned, curling in on myself, then shrieking in pain as my bones shredded under a flow of lava…_

"_Crucio!" Kingsley barked, and I screamed once, flying backward, until my head hit the back wall sharply, and I crumpled, mind spinning…_

_Kingsley had me spread out like a blanket, giggling like a schoolboy as he ran his hands over my breasts then down to my waist, smirking as he felt my ribs so prominently pushing against my skin…_

_I brought my knee up and Yaxely's head downward, the satisfying crunch of his jaw letting me know that Hermione, Ron and Harry had enough time to escape…_

_I was fighting back against Bellatrix, ducking punches and kicking high, spinning out of the way of her spells, filled with fury. She had been torturing me all day-if she wanted to drug me, she'd have to fight me…_

"ENOUGH!" Someone bellowed, and the memories were severed sharply. Dawlish had his back to me, facing Lupin, who stood in the doorway, paler than I had ever seen him. The whole room reminded me of ink being washed away by water, it was getting blotchy, then it was bleeding away…


	17. 10,000 Miles

10,000 Miles

_Fare thee well _

_My own true love _

_Farewell for a while _

_I'm going away _

_But I'll be back _

_Though I go 10,000 miles_

Jenny

5/2/11

6:12 p.m.

"Jenny? Jenny, can you hear me?" Someone was asking me quietly yet urgently.

"How _dare _you, you had everything you needed, yet you kept pulling more and more! You saw that she was losing consciousness!" A very angry woman was shouting.

"I-" a man was starting, sounding defensive, but the woman talked right over him.

"I don't care if she's not technically a witch, that level of-of-of _brutality_-" she shouted heatedly.

"Enough, Tonks. You don't want to get yourself arrested." Mr. Weasley sounded furious, yet his voice was quiet.

"I'm sorry, alright?" Dawlish shouted, obviously to something Tonks had done silently, and I heard fast footsteps cross over to the right side of me. "I didn't mean it, I was intrigued-"

"_Intrigued? You were intrigued by my daughters memories of being tortured?" _Tonks shrieked, and my eyes fluttered open to see Dawlish almost leaning over me, backing away from Tonks, who's hair was literally fire, breathing down on him. He stumbled back as my eyes closed of their own accord again, and I felt a hand suddenly landing on my chest, sending shooting pains into my lungs- I shrieked in pain, eyes fluttering open, struggling to sit up, to get away, the magical restraints tightening of their own accord-Dawlish yelled out in fright at my scream, and Tonks' hair extinguished instantly. She left Dawlish and ran around to the other side to take my hand, a light hand on my shoulder, trying to keep me from trying to sit up against the strap. "Jenny, no one here is going to hurt you, calm down, ok? It's alright-" she broke off as I stopped fighting, starting to hyperventilate and cough at the same time as something hot crawled up my throat, and I felt it on my lips. I knew it was blood; I could feel it filling my lungs again, faster this time-it was in my throat. I tried to sit up again, starting to drown and suffocate in my own blood-

"Out of the way! _Curatio Voxmaximo!" _A female voice shouted, and I choked as the blood stopped pooling and started to retreat, my lungs no longer searing to inhale and exhale, no longer weighted down by the blood. With a sharp pang in my chest, the blood stopped flowing, leaving me feeling full and bloated.

"You can't do that!" Williamson cried out as I felt hands removing the wrist cuffs, then the heavy strap across my chest. I was propped upright, leaning against what felt like a shoulder, then back against the bed.

"I will do whatever is necessary to make sure my patient survives!" Madam Pane snapped by my head, then I felt her hands take my face. "_Ennervate," _she said quietly, and my eyes easily slid open to meet her gaze, although my vision was hazy. "Jenny, I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt, but then you'll be all done, perfectly healthy, alright?" She said firmly, propping me back up again when I started to sink. I tried to respond, but clapped a hand to my mouth, feeling sick. The bloated feeling had gone to one of intense nausea. Madam Pane handed me a white bucket, then grimly said, "_Expelous."_ Instantly, I fell over the bucket, throwing up.

"What are you _doing?"_ I heard Williamson ask, sounding horrified.

"When that idiot over there put all of his weight down on her chest, it reopened all of the wounds. The blood from those injuries flooded the chest cavity a little, but mostly her throat, suffocating her. When I sealed the wounds, all of that blood went down into her stomach. She would have vomited it all up over about two hours, but this will speed it up."

"I didn't mean to fall on her, it was her fault!" Dawlish sounded defensive and actually scared. I shuddered then heaved again, and I felt Madam Pane rub my back.

"How dare you-" Tonks started viciously, but Madam Pane interrupted both of them.

"I don't care whose fault it was. All I care about is how far back her recovery has been pushed to."

"And how long will that be?" Lupin asked dangerously.

"4 days, give or take. Not just because of the more recent injuries, but because of past damage, both mental and physical. She said flatly as I retched again, even though I tried to stop it.

"Then she will have to be restrained again! I can't have-"

"DID YOU NOT JUST SEE THE PROOF THAT YOU PLUCKED FROM HER OWN HEAD?" Tonks shrieked, and I heard him take a step back again.

"We- we have yet to review the information. Each memory must be tested to determine if it is fake-" Dawlish broke off pathetically as Tonks let out an unintelligible scream of fury, and I heard someone take hold of her to stop her from attacking Dawlish. Gasping, I paused over my bucket, hoping that I wouldn't vomit again. Madam Pane seemed to notice the pause.

"_Evanesco." _She murmured, and the bucket with the blood in it vanished. She caught me from falling forwards, and propped me back up. "Can you stay up on your own?" She asked, and I barely nodded, fighting for breath. My throat felt like it had been ripped to shreds. My lungs were searing with each breath I took, my chest feeling uncomfortable with a strange amount of pressure.

"Look, I said I was sorry. We just need time to formally file the information that we found. For that time period, she'll have to stay here in the Psychiatric Ward! I can't go against orders!" Dawlish insisted, then took another step back as Tonks went to stalk over there, stopped by Lupin's grip on her arm.

"You sick motherfucking-" She started yelling.

"Look, based on what I've seen, she's completely innocent! Just give us time to file the damn reports!" Dawlish shouted over her, stopping her up short. "Yes, I think she's innocent, alright?" He repeated into the silence. Unable to ignore the pain any longer, I wasn't able to smother my tiny gasp of pain that Madam Pane picked up on instantly.

"No one kill each other. I'm going to get some medication." She said, checked me one last time, then left. As she passed Dawlish, he turned and walked over to me, making my body tense reflexively, making me wince. But I never took my eyes off of him. I knew that I was free, but I still didn't trust him.

"Jennifer, I'm so sorry. I thought that because you were a werewolf, that you would be like Greyback. I was wrong, we both were." He nodded to Williamson, who looked at the floor, abashed. "I saw everything you saw and more. I went too far, and I apologize. I truly do think that you are innocent, and when I present all of your memories and answers to the Wizengamot and testify for you, I'm sure they'll clear you of any wrongdoing." He said earnestly, and I watched him carefully; I couldn't believe what I was hearing. After all the pain and anger he and Williamson had caused, he actually cared? "I just…got carried away when I started to see your memories. I can't believe," he swallowed for a moment, "I can't believe how-how _strong_ you've been facing so much pain." The sheer kindness in his words made tears spring from my eyes and roll down my face. I looked away from him, my body crumpling down from its tense pose as tears streaked from under my lashes. The last person to call me Jennifer had been my adoptive Muggle father, right before he and mum left for their movie.

"Oh, Jenny," Tonks whispered, then I felt her arms hold me close, and after a moment, I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her back tightly, my tears dampening her shirt. "I'm sorry. For shouting at you." Tonks said over my head to Dawlish, but she said it stiffly. For some reason, she pulled away, and when I looked up, Madam Pane was back, with a bottle in her hand. The potion inside was the same color blue as the summer sky.

"Drink this one at your own pace. It's for the pain, but it will make you sleep too. Take as much as you need. If she gets in trouble again, call right down the hall." She addressed Tonks and Lupin as I took the bottle carefully with both hands, for they were trembling.

"Jenny," The sound of Draco's rasping voice made my head shoot up. He was leaning against the doorframe, his face lined with fatigue and pain.

"Draco," I breathed, and he limped across the room and we embraced, and I couldn't help but cry out in relief. "I didn't want to leave, I wanted to stay with you, to make sure you made it through-it was my fault you were bitten, I'm sorry-" I ranted softly in his ear, starting to cry again. Draco interrupted me just as quietly.

"It wasn't your fault, you were hurt, and the sun had just come up, you weren't a wolf anymore. I just didn't know if they would take you, if you were going to get the care you needed before—before…before it was too late." He sounded relieved as he pulled back and studied me carefully. "You are alright, aren't you? What's this?" He lifted the bottle from Madam Pane out of my lap.

"It's just for some of the pain, if I need it. You're here, I'm fine." I tried to say it convincingly, but Draco frowned at me, as if he were reading my mind.

"No, you're still hurting; I can tell by the way your breathing." He handed me the bottle, and I hesitated, one hand slowly curling around it. "And look, you're trembling!" He insisted, uncorking the bottle for me.

"I'm just a little…emotional. It's been a long day. I was so worried, is all, Draco, I want to know about _you."_ I ignored the bottle he held out to me and pushed myself to a straighter sitting position. "Can I see where…?" Draco caught my drift and set down the bottle, then undid the clasp of his high collared shirt, then undid a few more buttons and pulled the collar away. The bite covered the left side of his neck, his left shoulder, and I could see where it started to disappear down his back. My hands flew to my mouth. "If I had just been faster, I wouldn't have been hurt, then you wouldn't have been bitten-"

"Enough, Jenny. There was nothing you could do. It's amazing that you managed to stop the bleeding with your spells the way they were."

"Spells?" Dawlish asked, looking perplexed. "But you're a Muggle, I don't understand."

"The magic from Greyback's bites and her anger at her family's murderers combined. She could use magic for awhile. But her anger was gone by the time we got to the battle-none of her spells worked completely." Tonks said stiffly.

"But don't you see? If we can prove this to the Wizengamot, it will only help your case!" Williamson spoke up for the first time in a long time. Draco turned back to me, smiling, but frowned when he caught me lightly resting my hand on my chest.

"Jenny, just drink, stop being so stubborn." He sighed, picking up the bottle again and forcing it into my hand.

"But it will make me sleepy. I don't want to sleep right now, not when you just got here. I don't want to miss anything." I tried to insist, but Draco wouldn't hear a word of it. "Draco, listen. I don't want to sleep, when I wake up, I'll be-" I stopped talking.

"You'll be what? Nothing but beautiful." Draco said soothingly, and usually, that would make me smile, but I didn't.

"To get Jenny admitted, they have to treat her as a psychiatric patient until the Wizengamot clears her." Lupin said coldly. Draco looked at me, nonplussed. "She'll be drugged and restrained." Lupin elaborated, sounding colder than ever, and Draco turned on the spot, furious.

"You cannot be serious." He hissed.


	18. Fences

Fences

_I'm sitting in a room_

_Made up of only big white walls_

_And in the halls_

_There are people looking through_

_Though they know exactly what we're here for_

_Don't look up just let them think_

_There's no place else you'd rather be_

Jenny

5/2/10

7:34 p.m.

"Draco, it's not their fault." I said softly, knowing that he would hear me, but he ignored me. "Draco, it was that or let me die. I know I can handle this." I said louder, and he turned on the spot to look at me.

"But _I_ can't handle it Jenny. _I_ can't stand seeing you like this…never mind doped up and tied down like some psycho!" Draco muttered, but I could hear the defeat in his voice. I beckoned him back over, and took his hands.

"After I drink this and fall asleep, you are going to get some rest; I know you must be hurting terribly. When you come back, I'll probably be half asleep, but I'll know that you are there. I'll be safe here. Take care of you." I said seriously, keeping a straight face, even though my chest was aching, my voice raw yet. I lifted the potion out of my lap again and met Draco's gaze firmly. "In a few days, hopefully, my trial will start, and then I'll be out of here."

"I love you," he said desperately as I raised the bottle to my lips.

"I love you more," I smiled, then drank. The potion had no flavor, but after about half the bottle, the pains vanished, so I stopped, setting it on the table. Seconds later, my head felt pleasantly dizzy. "Oh, goodness," I murmured sleepily, sinking downward, too relaxed to sit up straight anymore. Hands laid me back flat again, and I sighed happily before drifting off.

Draco

5/2/11

7:40 p.m.

"We'll be going then. The faster and longer we can work, the better for her. Have a good evening." Dawlish said calmly before he and Williamson left. As soon as they were gone, I turned to face Tonks and Lupin.

"What have I missed?" I demanded, and Lupin rubbed his face, looking exhausted.

"A lot," he said wearily. Slowly, the Weasley's, Tonks and Lupin, and the golden trio filled me in, until I was sitting in shock next to Jenny, who was sleeping peacefully. I hated the sight of straps on her body, it made me sick.

"But not everything about this is bad," Lupin said quietly after a few minutes. "When Jenny wins her trial, hopefully this will ease some prejudice against werewolves, and Muggles as well." More silence descended until a Healer came back in.

"I can conjure beds for this room, but only three can stay in here. The rest of you will have to go home, visiting hours have long been over. You can always come back tomorrow." She said kindly. With quiet goodbyes and promises to return, everyone trickled out except for Tonks, Lupin and I.

"Both of you need sleep, and lots of it. I'll stay up to make sure nothing happens. You know that Jenny wouldn't want you to stay up all night." Tonks said, and after a moment of struggling with myself and what Jenny had told me to do, I nodded. I lifted one of her hands and kissed it before turning to one of the beds that had appeared in the room and climbing in it, Lupin following suit after kissing his wife goodnight. For the longest time, all I could do was watch Jenny through heavily lidded eyes before at last, I fell asleep.

Draco

5/3/11

5:04 a.m.

I jolted awake for no reason at all, and for a moment, just stared at the stark white ceiling until I remembered where I was and what had happened. Instantly, I swept back covers that had been pulled over me and got up. Tonks was asleep in a chair next to Jenny. Lupin was still asleep, and so was Jenny. I couldn't tell if it was drug-induced, or if for once, she was simply asleep. Walking over to the other side of her bed, I watched her for a moment. Inexplicable pride for her rose inside of me, creating the first smile since I was bitten across my face. Lightly, I brushed the back of my hand against her cheek, and she stirred, a sleepy smile crossing her face. "Wake up, beautiful," I said quietly, and she laughed lethargically, her eyes slowly opening.

"Hey," she said quietly, moving her cheek into my hand. "How was the sleeping?"

"Needed." I said, and she smiled, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Draco, do you remember what you said to me right after you were bitten?" she asked, and I frantically wracked my mind, trying to remember. Judging by my silence, she continued, looking directly at me. "You said that you changed you mind, and that you wanted to marry me." I stared at her, confused.

"I said that?" I asked, sounding dazed to even my own ears. She laughed. "Wow," I said, my brain finally starting to think. "Well, I mean, I _love_ you, but Jenny, I'm seventeen! I'm sorry, I don't even know your birthday-"

"June 10th, 1993. I'm only sixteen." She said coolly, then laughed again. "It's ok, Draco, I don't want to marry you. That's way too intense." She said, and I leaned down and kissed her.

"I knew we get along so well for a reason." I muttered, and she chuckled, then turned away from me to look at Tonks as she stirred. "She stayed up the whole night, I think." I answered her unasked question and she swore softly.

"Great hairy flobberworms," Tonks murmured, curling up tighter on her chair, making Jenny chuckle again.

"Will you prop me up?" She asked, and I prodded the bed with my wand, causing it to recline upward, just as Tonks sat straight up, her hair turning long thin and mauve in her sleepiness.

"What's going on?" She asked as urgently as she could, rubbing at her eyes, trying to wake up faster. Hastily getting up, she tripped onto her own feet and had to grab the edge of the bed to keep herself upright.

"As graceful as ever, Tonks," Jenny said lightly, and Tonks jumped. "Welcome to the morning."

"Jenny! How are you?" She nearly shouted, standing up straight, beaming.

"Great, actually. Madam Pane didn't lie about everything being healed, I feel perfectly healthy." She assured her, and Tonks beamed brighter, if possible. "Have you heard anything from Dawlish and Williamson?" She asked, and her face hardened over.

"They sent down a message before midnight, saying that they had checked all of the memories they took, and all of them were true. They also requested memories from all of us, apparently to 'strengthen' their case." She said, her tone irate.

"Tonks, I don't think anyone was more pissed off at them than me, and I trust both of them. I saw the memories he was looking at, and I can't see how he would argue them against me." Tonks snorted and looked down. She looked up as I heard footsteps in the hallway, and as if he had heard us talking, Williamson poked his head in, and I could see Dawlish behind him. Both looked exhausted, yet had an air of satisfaction about them.

"Is everything alright?" he asked uncertainly, staying in the doorway, obviously afraid of Tonks, who was the only adult awake in the room.

"Why wouldn't it be?" I asked with a slight edge of menace.

"There was a rumor going around that someone was planning on attacking you, Miss Quinty." He said in a rush, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Anyone stupid enough to try to attack me with two other werewolves in the room, plus family and friends around at all times must really be pissed off." Jenny said easily, and Tonks glared at her.

"Jenny, this isn't a game." She hissed.

"Mrs. Lupin is right. From now on, an Auror will be in the hallway to screen the visitors coming down this way. It's for your own safety." Dawlish said from the back, and with a slight hesitation, Williamson stepped inside the room, Dawlish following. Tonks looked at him a moment, looking furious, and then sighed; her face falling back to normal as she turned back to me.

"Anything else, Auror Williamson?" She asked, and Williamson gaped at her a moment, as if he hadn't expected her to be so polite.

"Actually, yes. We-well, I" Dawlish amended, seeing Williamson's face, "thought up kind of a…unusual idea, if you would be willing to try it." Tonks' eyes narrowed, but Jenny looked thoughtful.

"What idea?" I asked cautiously. If it involved anything painful, I would try to persuade her against it. Jenny had been hurt enough.

"Assuming you can still use a wand to some extent, you would remove some of your own memories for us. Also, Williamson and I can use our own memories of you doing so in court to show that you can 'use magic', strengthening your case to become a normal citizen." Dawlish said, nervously eyeing Tonks the whole time.

"Absolutely not," I said after a moment. "Reliving everything again will bring nothing but pain and regret, Jenny, you know that." She closed her eyes for a moment.

"It's now or by force at a trial with a whole bunch of prejudiced old wizards watching me. I can do this at my own pace, assuming that I can actually do it." She said softly, looking from me to Tonks. Tonks looked torn.

"Do you need more memories, or is this just a safety net? I'd rather have her try first instead of having them taken from her again." Tonks' words hung in the air, and I noticed Jenny shiver slightly.

"We do need a few more to resolve some unanswered questions that the Wizengamot will pick over. But anything you supply will only help you." Dawlish said kindly to Jenny. It seemed that he wasn't afraid to address her directly anymore.

"I have to try." She insisted determinedly, but then frowned. "I lost my wand in the fight for Hogwarts, unless you picked it up, Draco." She looked at me hopefully, but I shook my head silently.

"Lupin has it somewhere," Tonks said, and went over and tenderly touched Lupin's shoulder. Almost instantly, he sat up straight, face fierce until he saw Tonks. He sighed and rubbed his face, then sat stock still as he noticed everyone.

"What's happening?" He asked tersely, and I wondered if he always woke up that way.

"Jenny's wand. We need it." Tonks said calmingly, and Lupin instantly reached into his robes and after a moment of searching produced the driftwood wand. Tonks took it then stopped on her way back over. "How is she supposed to remove the memories if she can't use her hands?" She asked bitterly, and Jenny looked at her hands with a forlorn yet unreadable expression as Dawlish and Williamson looked at each other a moment.

"Right," Dawlish said, and walked over, Jenny tensing as she usually did whenever anyone unfamiliar approached her, especially him. They both flinched when his hand slipped off the strap around the cuff and touched her hand. "_Realshio."_ He muttered finally, giving up on simply untying it, and the strap untied itself. He slid off the cuff and stepped back, as if expecting Jenny to seize him around the throat. Experimentally, she bent her arm towards her head, but was stopped by the strap crossing over her chest. Dawlish repeated his spell and the strap fell away.

"I feel so liberated," Jenny joked half-heartedly, stretching her left arm. She accepted her wand from Tonks, and I noticed that both Aurors hand's unconsciously went to their wand handles. "So…what do I do, exactly?" Jenny asked patiently enough as the silence lengthened.

"Here, I'll demonstrate. What memory do you need from me?" I asked the two Aurors.

"The night you told Jenny about her family." Williamson supplied, and I glanced at Jenny as she glanced at me. We hadn't really talked about that night.

"Ok, put your wand tip at your temple as you focus your mind entirely on the memory you want to duplicate and remove. Push it to your temple…and, it should cling to your wand tip." I said, my eyes on the memory I was pulling away from my temple, until it broke off and hung from the wand tip, swirling in the dim light. With a wave of his wand, Dawlish brought the Pensive out again, and I dropped the memory in.

"What do you need from me?" Jenny asked after watching the swirling memory, transfixed as Shell Cottage appeared, then swirled away into the silvery mass once again.

"All of your transformations as a werewolf." Dawlish said, and Jenny shuddered, but placed her wand tip at her temple none the less, closing her eyes and biting her bottom lip, like she always did when she was concentrating…


	19. Careful

Careful

_You can't be to careful anymore_

_When all that is waiting for you_

_Won't come any closer_

_You've got to reach a little _

_More, more, more, more_

Jenny

5/3/10

5:52 a.m.

_I was sprinting through a forest full of vibrant colors, full of nothing but joy. The forest called back as I howled to it with pleasure; sounds of it's own-branches clacking in the breeze, plants crunching lightly as I ran over them… I burst back into the clearing I had started in, and sniffed clothes that smelled human for a moment, then in my euphoria, ignored them, sat back, and after a deep breath, howled until I ran out of air to the sweet and beautiful moon, shining it's light down on me. When I woke up in the morning, I was scared to tears, apologizing to Lupin for being so rude and refusing his help. The long scratch going all the way across my face scared me when I looked in a mirror…_

_I welcomed the forest again, and it responded like an old friend. My happiness was gone this time, and replaced with an undeniable drive to establish territory. Deciding to start small and expand from there, I started a perimeter until a new scent crossed the breeze-one of another wolf. Stalking silently towards it, I moved through the underbrush until I came out on a tiny ravine. Only a few feet below was an enormous wolf that was obviously male. Fury sprung from nowhere, and I leapt downward, tackling the wolf, sending us flying over and over. I attacked him when he didn't run away, but seemed to look at me with a desperate shine to his eyes. After something in my leg snapped, he tried to run for it, but even on three legs, I was catching up. When I used all four, my leg snapped again, tangling my paws and sending me crashing down a large hillside, smacking into rocks and trees until I made it to the bottom where a tiny clearing lay. As my momentum wore out, something large and shiny snapped down around my paw, making me howl in pain. The morning after, all I knew was pain, emotional and physical. I was stuck in a bear trap, ribs close to breaking, with an arm broken in at least two places. But all I could focus on was Lupin. I had made him promise me to fight back if he needed to, but I had attacked my mentor, my friend. The one person who understood what it was like…_

_Snarling, I slashed at Gober, then bounded over and bowled Scabior away from Hermione and broke his wand with one cut from my claws, then bounded around the rest of the clearing, helping Lupin either kill or knock the Snatchers unconscious. Then I returned to Hermione and carefully sliced through her bonds, ignoring her shock and went over to the large group of prisoners, cutting each one apart, then free. I was giving Harry, Ron and Hermione a lift back to our campsite, Harry shouting gleefully as we raced silently through the forest, catching air as I leapt over logs and snaked through trees. In the morning, hearing strange sounds in the woods, then screaming in surprise when with a loud bang, Kingsley sent cords whipping around me- the fight, Kingsley's chase, then Apparating to Malfoy Manor…_

I paused, frozen stiff, and I knew the memories had come off, hanging from my wand tip. My eyes felt wet, but thankfully, I wasn't crying yet. Then I dropped the memory into the Pensive. "That wasn't so bad," I lied, and Draco snorted, wiping away one tear that managed to boil over. "I'm used to sacrifices," I reminded him quietly as Williamson collected memories from Tonks and Lupin, trying to ignore Dawlish, who was looking down, but I hadn't been a spy just to forget that type of body language—he was listening.

"You shouldn't be used to them, that's what I've been trying to tell you," Draco said, catching on and speaking softly.

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have survived in the Wizarding World for as long as I have. That's what _I've_ been trying to tell you." I said back, and he frowned, drawing his attention to where my ear had been.

"This looks like it hurts." He said, and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sure you're hurting a lot more. You should go." I told him, but he shook his head silently, now playing with my hair. Once Dawlish and Williamson got their act together, I retrieved as many memories as I could handle. If I couldn't physically do anything, I was going to max out whatever I _could_ do. It would be better for them to have to choose between memories instead of not having enough. After they had all the memories they needed, I was surprised to see Tonks and Lupin fall into a relaxed chatter with them, occasionally glancing our way as Draco and I talked quietly. All of a sudden, a light purple paper airplane appeared out of thin air, flew over to Dawlish, and darted around his head until he snatched it and read it, Williamson looking over his shoulder and frowning. I looked at Draco, confused, but he was looking at the little airplane.

"It's and order to come back to the Ministry. Apparently the Ministry wants to prosecute you, and is unhappy that we have listed ourselves to testify for your defense. A new Auror will be assigned to the Ministry's prosecution." Williamson explained before we could ask, but Dawlish kept reading, scowling at the piece of paper and eventually crunching it in his fist.

"They want to increase the time Jenny is on sedatives, and they want stronger ones to be administered. It's to go immediately into effect." He almost growled, throwing the ball into the trash angrily. Muttering to himself, he left, presumably to go get a nurse. I sighed, and Draco kissed my forehead reassuringly. Tonks and Lupin seemed to be having a furious silent battle with each other, until she sighed and looked down. Dawlish returned with Madam Pane, looking angrier, which surprised me. I still didn't trust Dawlish, but he seemed to seriously care. I could already tell that things would be more awkward from here on out. Madam Pane had another bottle in her hand, and it was a sad looking grey color. "It's been ordered that the hospital uses 'The Draught of the Living Death'." Dawlish said to the floor, and Tonks hissed like an angry cat, making him flinch. Draco's hand tightened on the edge of the bed until his knuckles turned white.

"That has to be illegal," Lupin asked, but sounded defeated already.

"What? What is that?" I asked quickly, looking from Draco, to Lupin and Tonks, and then finally, with some hesitation, I looked at Dawlish and Madam Pane.

"It is the most powerful sleeping potion known to wizard kind. The person it is administered to takes days to fully wake up, and even then, they will tremble almost constantly and be very weak for another few days." Madam Pane's voice was low in her fury. If I didn't trust her, I'd be afraid of her.

"This is obviously strategic. If it is administered now, she'll barely be awake in time for the trial." Williamson said curtly.

"And I have to take it?" I asked after a moment, turning on my poker face.

"The Auror assigned to the prosecution will be coming down to see that everything is in order, to schedule a few questionings, that sort of thing. He'll also try to get the staff, patients or visitors to admit that they are frightened of you, and that you have been violent and feral." Williamson answered. Tiredly, I rubbed my face, unwilling to ask for the bottle just yet. I hated the way this potion sounded, and I would be out of the loop for my own trial. Lovely.

"What must be done, must be done, I guess." I recognized defeat and held open my free left hand for the bottle after setting my wand on the vanity. I tried not to think about how this really made me feel, scared and of course, helpless. The name didn't help either.

"Jenny, don't worry, when you wake up, we'll have everything ready, all you'll have to do is answer the questions. It's like you're taking a nice long nap." Dawlish said suddenly, as if he had been holding himself back. Madam Pane put the bottle in my hand. I barely resisted glaring at Dawlish when I realized he pitied me terribly. Git.

"You'll only get a few mouthfuls, but that's all you'll need. Don't be afraid to stop early." She instructed almost inaudibly.

"Guys," I raised the bottle to Lupin, Tonks and Draco. "See you on the other side."

"Wait." Draco said, leaned down, and kissed me. I kissed him back, lightly resting the bottle in my lap to cup his cheek. When he pulled away, he was smiling bitterly.

"Bye," I said very softly. Steeling myself, I drank. It didn't feel like a liquid in my mouth, it felt more like drinking whipped cream. Almost instantly, it felt like I was at the bottom of an ocean, the world going black as soon as I swallowed. I froze for a second, then like a switch had been flicked—I was gone-


	20. Misguided Ghosts

Misguided Ghosts

_I'm just one of those ghosts_

_Traveling endlessly_

_Don't need no roads_

_In fact they follow me_

_And we just go in circles_

Draco

5/3/10

3:27 p.m.

After Jenny had taken the potion, I had to leave. It was just the way she looked—the potion made her barely breathe, yet she was fast asleep. I couldn't stand it; I was tired of being helpless when it came to keeping her safe. When I left, Tonks and Lupin were contacting the Order and of course, the Weasleys. Knowing that the golden trio would show up only gave me more of an incentive to leave. Plus, I hadn't talked to my parents since after the transformation, when I told them I needed to see Jenny, and I needed to see her _now._ They had let me go, thankfully, but I still needed to reconnect with them. I knew that they were devastated that I had been bitten, almost more so than I was. They were still in hiding, waiting for the truth about the Malfoy's to reveal itself within Jenny's trial. I Apparated to Shell Cottage first, then to Malfoy Manor. As soon as I walked in the door, mother had me captured in a hug. "Oh, _Draco_, you're home!" she was close to sobbing, so I cautiously steered her to the living room by memory, surprised to see that the Manor had been restored.

"Yes, for now." I said, and perhaps that rigid of an answer made her regain her composure.

"How is the poor thing doing?" she asked, dabbing politely at her eyes, then sitting up straight. I hesitated, and in that moment, Father walked in. He gave me the usual 'Malfoy man hug' then sat next to mother. I hesitated a moment more, and Mother whispered something into Father's ear. Unwillingly, I told them everything, from the moment she was admitted up until I left.

"That's outrageous, using that strong of a potion on an innocent girl." Father said stiffly, his hand turning to a fist on his knee.

"And how long will she be asleep, do you think?" Mother asked.

"At least four days. I didn't see how much she actually drank." I said flatly, and my parents frowned at each other.

"But, son, how are _you?_" Father pressed, and I raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"How do you feel? Now that you are a werewolf?" He elaborated, and I sighed. Of course they wanted to know. They wanted to know if my personality had changed.

"I'm still tired, but I transformed with no problems." I answered, and Mother beamed.

"Excellent. Well, I insist that you at least eat and shower before you leave us again. I know that Jenny is important to you, but you _must_ take care of yourself." She said firmly. So I did what she asked, and before I could leave, Mother pressed a bouquet of flowers into my hand, presumably for Jenny. I Apparated, then hurried to Jenny's room. The door was ajar, and I paused in the doorway.

A huge hulking man was talking quietly and dangerously to Lupin, who was the only person in the room besides George, who was taller than him. The Weasley's and members of the Order were standing behind the man, looking furious. Jenny, of course, was still sleeping. "It's not that difficult, Mr. Lupin. It's not like you have a choice."

"What is going on here?" I asked as chillingly and frostily as I could muster, and thanks to being raised in a Malfoy family, it worked, my voice came out like ice. The giant man turned his bulk around, and bared his teeth at me in a weak attempt at a smile. His face was huge and wide, with almost four chins holding it up. He was repulsive.

"This must be Mr. Draco Malfoy. Archibald Bollig, Prosecuting Attorney in the Quinty Case." He held out a hand for me to shake, but I ignored it.

"_What_ is going on here?" I repeated curtly, folding my arms, making his eyes flash down to the flowers in hand, and he smirked.

"I'm sure you were aware that as the prosecuting attorney, I need to gather evidence. Everyone here falls under that category, including you."

"We do have the right to refuse. Unless you have a court order from the Wizengamot-"

"Which I do." He said smugly, reaching inside his huge jacket and pulling out a packet of papers, flicking them open with a _smack._ My blood turned icy as he read, "By order of the Wizengamot, all family members and friends of Jennifer Lillian Quinty, the defendant, must provide evidence for the Prosecuting Attorney, Mr. Archibald Bollig." He tucked the papers away again, his smirk getting wider, if possible. "Oh, and according to this order, I can collect evidence from Quinty as well."

"That's impossible, considering you made sure she's in a drug induced sleep until right up to the trial." I snapped, and he actually chuckled, breaking the ice in my veins and replacing it with fire.

"There are ways, Malfoy, there are ways. However, I'm glad you arrived, because I need to speak with you first. Now." He lost his somewhat agreeable manner instantly; his eyes suddenly rock hard, his tone like stone.

I walked past him, and conjured a vase, putting the flowers in it, then conjured a chair and sat next to Jenny. "Well then talk. Anything you need to say to me, you can say to everyone." His face turned ugly, and behind his back, Lupin gave me a tiny smile.

"I thought you would understand this as well, Malfoy. This is an ongoing investigation, and your answers and my questions are confidential. You _must_ come with me now." I glared at him for a moment, then stood up swiftly, imagining myself ripping his flabby face off as I followed him out the door. He walked us down the hallway, and just at the end, we nearly ran into Dawlish. He looked like he had been running, and scowled when he saw Bollig, then it deepened when he saw me behind him.

"Starting already, Bollig?" He asked aggressively, stopping instead of letting us pass.

"I have a job to do, Dawlish. Now if you'd excuse me." He said clearly, making a nurse look up at her station. Dawlish scowled deeper, then stepped to the side to let us pass. I knew he was looking at me, but I looked straight ahead, following Bollig to an empty hospital room. As I stepped inside, Bollig closed the door and sat down on the other side of a desk. The room was brightly lit, and only consisted of the desk, one giant chair for Bollig, then a normal chair for me. "Sit, Malfoy." Bollig demanded, so I sat, looking at him frostily as he took me in. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way, Malfoy. You can give me memories willingly to be checked for their validity, or you can be questioned using Veritasereum."

"What memories do you need?" I asked curtly.

"Everything. From the very beginning. I want the whole ugly story." He chuckled again as he pulled out a Pensive from under the desk, setting it in front of me. After glaring at him for one more minute, I withdrew my wand and placed it to my temple…

Lupin

5/3/10

4:25 p.m.

"This is…" Mrs. Weasley couldn't even finish her sentence she was so angry.

"I just hope Draco gives him a run for his money." Tonks said bitterly, crossing back over to the chair Draco had conjured and falling into it.

"Has he gotten to any of you? Anyone else?" Dawlish looked winded as he suddenly appeared in the doorway, scowling.

"He tried," Mrs. Weasley said with satisfaction, and Dawlish sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Unfortunately, you all have to give him answers, I just checked with the Chief Wizengamot. There's nothing I can do, and there is nothing you can do. If you interfere, I have to remove all of your testimony from my evidence, which would kill our case. I'm sorry."


	21. Unconcious Reality

Unconcious Reality

_I lay down and watch the sun come up_

_don't know how long it's been since my eyes were shut_

_and they're burning, I'm twisting, and turning_

_a lonely night, a tired morning_

Jenny

5/6/10

2:10 a.m.

I remembered. From nowhere, I suddenly had a brain, a memory. Somewhere deep inside, I was full of anxiety, but I wasn't complete enough to feel. But I also had another feeling, the feeling as if my brain and memory were almost disorganized, like someone had been going through it like a sock drawer. It hurt. The most recent memory it had been at was when I shot the Minister of Magic. I thought of everyone, the Weasley's, the Order members, Lupin and Tonks. _Teddy._ And then, of course, Draco. The memory of him kissing me was keeping me above the blackness I had emerged from. It was sticky and numbing, and whenever I sank lightly into it, it held onto me, trying to drag me back to nothing.

5/7/10

10:11 p.m.

A break from the monotony came when I could feel. I was so anxious, so worried. What was happening? Were Dawlish and Williamson prepared? When was my trial? What were my family and friends going through? Why was someone going through my head, and who were they? And finally, how long had I been asleep?

Some time later, it came upon me that I had ears, and that I could listen. The sounds came from what seemed like a bottom of a pool. Unsure, I listened harder. "…legal….Bollig?" said a female voice. More mutterings erupted from that, but I couldn't pick out words.

"…trial…" the woman said again, and I quickly racked my brain. When did I take the potion? Could I guess how many days I had been out?

5/8/10

6:51 a.m.

I could feel more now, not just my emotions. I could feel the pillow under my head, the straps holding me down, and a hand holding mine. Who did it belong to? "She's going to be late! If anything, this is your fault." I heard Tonks snap.

"To the contrary, _Miss._" A disgustingly sleazy voice barked. I was filled with immediate dislike, especially when he sighed loudly in exasperation. "Let's speed things _along…_Madam Pane?" He demanded frostily.

"_Suscitatio ex dormio." _I heard her say curtly, and it felt like someone was trying to wax my face, making me gasp and tense slowly. Her spell was forcibly ripping away the black gunk in my head, leaving it aching. My eyes started to flutter as she stopped it, letting the black leap back up, trying to take me over again. With a quiet sigh, I relaxed again, too tired to fight.

"Do it again. We're late." The man snapped, and it happened again, making me actually cry out this time, eyes snapping open, my lungs suddenly breathing, my heart pumping in my ears. "Ah, she's arisen." The man in question was disgustingly fat with a face that reminded me of Umbridge, but with more chins. Panting, I closed my eyes, suddenly exhausted. "_Realshio." _The man snapped, and the straps fell away. "Get up. You have a trial to go to." He commanded. I made myself open my eyes instead of falling asleep again and looked at him.

"Who…are you?" I asked, and my voice was quiet and half asleep. He snorted, seizing the front of my hospital gown and pulling me to a sitting position. Unfortunately, I immediately collapsed into his arm that smelled of sweat and greasy popcorn. He made a disgusted noise and backed away, and someone caught my shoulders.

"Jenny, can you hear me? Your trial started 5 minutes ago. You have to get up; you have to get up _now._" Williamson said from the back of the room, and I barely held my head up to look around. Madam Pane had caught me, and after leaning me up against the back of the bed, swung my legs over, then pulled me closer by the shoulders until my feet touched the floor. Tonks took one of my arms, and Madam Pane took the other, and the pulled me up to stand. My body simultaneously started to tremble like I actually was a psycho. "Come on, Jenny." Williamson probably meant to say it in an encouraging manner, but he sounded panicked and rushed to me. I tried to take a step and my knees collapsed for a second.

"It's…today? Now?" I asked sluggishly as Tonks almost towed me down the hallway. I caught myself on the wall before Tonks could catch me when my knee gave out again. The man hissed impatiently, but I ignored him, trying to force my tired and searing brain to think. The trial, it was today…I would have to answer questions, I would have to stay awake…

"Williamson, make yourself useful." The fat man snapped, and Williamson hesitated then came over.

"Sorry about this," He said, then picked me up in his arms. It was only awkward, not uncomfortable. It also gave me time to think.

"Where is everyone? Draco, Lupin?" I asked Tonks, rubbing my temples.

"They are all at the trial." Was all Tonks said, and we spent the rest of the ride, including through the Floo Network in silence. The brisk walk to the courtrooms was also silent. When we reached a large door, Williamson set me down, and after a moment of wavering, I stood on my own, trying not to fall over backwards in my lethargy state. "Now Jenny, Williamson and Dawlish will represent you, but don't say anything unless asked, alright? Just go through that door and sit in the chair." Tonks said, and then seized me in a tight hug, which I managed to return, but without about an eighth of the strength.

She caught me when she set me down, my trembling hands tightening their grip on her only for a second to regain my balance. "Can you walk?" she asked in a quiet undertone, and I nodded. She sighed, kissed my forehead, and then walked back up the passageway, looking behind her until she vanished.

"In." The fat man demanded, pointing to the door, and with slow, careful steps, I made it to the door and had to rest a moment. I could barely walk. Taking a deep breath, I pushed on the door, and of course, I wasn't strong enough to open it. Williamson made an angry noise at the fat man and held the door open for me. Trembling, I walked inside to hear a quiet but collective gasp. The room still reminded me of a depressing well, but this time it was full of people. The section right in front of me was full of wizards and witches in black robes and funny hats, all watching me beadily. Above them and on the sides of the room were stands packed with people, all of them looking at me in horror, disgust or pity. I quickly looked down and focused on walking to the chair. It felt like an eternity. My quivering body could only go so fast, and I was already being pushed to my limit. I caught the edge of it with a shaking hand, and then slowly sat down. After a moment, two sets of gold chains lurched to life and snaked around my arms, binding them to the armrests.

"Jennifer Lillian Quinty?" A booming woman barked, her monocle cutting into her face as she loomed down at me, as if to see me better.

"Yes."

"You're late. Explain." She said coldly.

"I was being revived, ma'am." I blinked as her face seemed to swim in front of me.

"Revived?" She raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Revived from the Draught of the Living Death, ma'am." She looked up at the man who had to be the new Minister of Magic, who shifted a little uncomfortably. I took the lapse of time to take a few deep breaths.

"It was asked and granted by the prosecution that for the safety of all involved, Quinty would be given the Draught." He looked to my left, and then I noticed the fat man sitting smugly at his side of the courtroom, hands folded. Whispers started among the crowd before the woman glared around, silencing the room.

"And when was this administered?" She asked me, and I looked down.

"I don't know, ma'am." I felt my face pale as I said it, I still didn't even know. Madam Pane said it would only last for a month max, but had it been a month? A week? Two days? She scowled at the Minister, and then shuffled her papers.

"Trial and Investigation of Jennifer Lillian Quinty, on the 8th of May into her blood status and citizenship, as well as the," he checked a list as his quill wrote for him, "_Nine_ murders committed." The Minister clicked his tongue, and fat man smiled even wider, if possible. He then nodded to the woman with the monocle, who adjusted it before leaning forward to look at me.

"Representatives for the Defense, Gregory Williamson and Richard Dawlish." She said coolly, and on my level to the right, Dawlish and Williamson left their little box and took the floor. They didn't look at me, nor did they look at the woman. Instead, Dawlish set down a Pensive, and Williamson conjured what looked like a giant floating movie screen.

"To start, we'd like to show you exactly how Miss Jenny became a werewolf through several different memories. The first will be hers, the second, Draco Malfoy's, and the last three belonging to Arthur Weasley, Remus Lupin, and Nymphadora Lupin. "Dawlish addressed the Wizengamot before turning and pointing his wand at the Pensive.

A frying pan swam into view, with a vegetable omelet cooking in it. I could hear myself humming to the music on the radio. The memory played in it's entirety, and I looked at my lap the whole time, angry with myself for having my eyes instantly start to smart with tears. The audience and Wizengamot gasped several times during the sequence, which I barely paid attention to. Only when the lights came up and Dawlish spoke again did I force the tears back. "I would like to ask permission to have Ms. Jenny show you the bites herself." He said, and I raised my head in disbelief. The woman looked at me a second before nodding to him, and the chains loosened and fell off.

Williamson came over and took my arm, helping me stand as Dawlish said something about the effects of the Draught I had taken. "Face them." Williamson told me quietly, so I did, then felt around the hospital gown's collar with quaking hands until I found the two buttons in the back and undid them, taking the collar off. Without pausing, I reached behind again and fumbled with the bow a minute before undoing the first tie, then scrunched the gown past my shoulders. When I looked up again, the Minister looked sick, and the Wizengamot was muttering furiously. I put the shoulders back and then lifted the left side of my shirt. The woman with the monocle looked away as my side and stomach came into view. The first bite was the most prominent, but the scars from the werewolf fights I had been in stood out strongly, and I could still feel my ribs from my trip to Malfoy Manor.

"Thank you, Jenny." Dawlish said, and with Williamsons help, I sat heavily back down, not flinching when the chains coiled back up. "As you can see, ladies and gentleman, Jenny did not enter our world by choice. The members of the Order of the Phoenix took her in, and made sure she transformed safely, so that she would not become like Greyback. When she changed safely, they were faced with a problem. They couldn't put her back in the Muggle world. She wasn't a wizard, and they weren't about to kill her. To support herself, they agreed to train her and use her as a spy within the Ministry. But during this time, Kingsley Shacklebolt, an Auror I once admired was being highly discriminatory towards Jenny, even though she was not there by choice. Through a fight involving the unethical use of Draco Malfoy, then a prisoner, as a punching bag, he made her transform on her first night as a wolf, without a Wolfsbane Potion, endangering herself and Remus Lupin, who would take her out with him to transform. I would like to show you now, Jenny's memory of her first transformation. Remember, she does not know who she is." Dawlish played the memory, and I winced when I heard myself gasp, looking in the mirror at the scratch, the messy, dirty hair. "After this transformation, Jenny went to Kingsley and told him that she would never need them, to protect Remus Lupin, even though it scared her to tears." Dawlish continued to explain and show everyone my life at the Order, including my last transformation without the Wolfsbane Potion. I couldn't help myself, I wept silently, glad that my hair was down to hide my face as much as possible.

Williamson reviewed my stay at Shell Cottage and the first attack by Kingsley, and went in depth about how it was my idea to start the radio station, how I wanted a way to help Muggleborns facing prosecution. Then he walked back over to the Pensive. "On March 10th, Kingsley attacked Jenny again as she was walking back to their campsite after a night under the full moon. After a fight involving Remus Lupin and Draco Malfoy, he kidnapped Jenny to Draco's house, which had been taken over by Death Eaters as their headquarters." He glanced at me, and I felt my face pale further, and I looked at my lap again, letting my blood turn to ice, it helped to numb the pain of the memories. "She was a captive there for a month. Here is only some of what happened to her." He paused and looked at me one more time, before he started the memory. Gasps erupted in the courtroom as Voldemort's face appeared right in full view as he gazed into my eyes, reading my mind. Then his torture began, and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block it out, but it played in my mind anyway. Next he showed Bellatrix's long 'interrogation' techniques and I tensed up. If I could, I would be curled up in a ball. I could still feel the Veritasereum being forced down my throat. The memories ended with the Malfoy's rescuing me and taking me back to Shell Cottage. "If you were wondering why none of our evidence was gathered by Veritasereum, this is why. We made the mistake of trying, and it was terrible to hear, never mind see later." Williamson emphasized the word terrible, scanning the Wizengamot.

Then Dawlish stepped up again, and explained and showed in detail the night Draco and Lupin told me about my family. "Imagine," he said, walking around in little circles. "Imagine after being through all of this, losing your life, your identity, your freedom. Imagine that just after two weeks of being liberated from Death Eaters that you hear that _everyone_ you ever loved and knew from your old life is dead, murdered, all because of you. How would you feel?" He asked, and I started when his hand suddenly rested on my shoulder. "How did you feel, Jenny?" He asked me.

"I was scared, depressed, and most of all, furious. I blamed myself." I said it barely loud enough to be heard.

"_Exactly._ A normal, human reaction. Have we not seen in history, how the wronged has always seeked revenge for their fallen? Jenny may not have been right, but I believe that she was justified in her actions." Dawlish said firmly, staring down the Wizengamot.


	22. Ignorance

Ignorance

_Where's your gavel? Your jury?_

_What's my offense this time?_

_You're not a judge but if you're gonna judge me_

_Well, sentence me to another life_

Jenny

5/8/10

8:32 a.m.

"So she went out and went after the Lestranges, the people who hurt her the most. She killed the Minister while she was in the Ministry. And look! Already, Voldemort's top lieutenants and his puppet of the Ministry were dead. More than any wizard had dared or could do. She was helping our world without even knowing it. She then got into a fight again with Kingsley, and discovered that they had not killed her ex-boyfriend, Brian Schwenn. They had been training him as an Assassin, to counter what Jenny had been doing. They rescued him, and killed Kingsley Shacklebolt. They rescued Luna Lovegood and Mr. Ollivander from certain death and killed Augustus Rookwood and Antonin Dolohov. Again, helping the wizarding world. When they went to the Leaky Cauldron to find more, they discovered that Nott, Crabbe and Goyle were supposed to be tracking them. They killed them too. Now think about this, ladies and gentlemen. If Jenny hadn't killed these murders and Dark Wizards, who would? More lives would have been lost at the Battle for Hogwarts, where Jenny went next, even though she wouldn't have magic to fight with. It was a full moon, and Voldemort had _three_ werewolves on his side. Lupin was hurt in his first fight, so Jenny fought all three wolves at some time during the night. If Jenny doesn't mind, I'd like to show you those injuries as well." Dawlish looked at me, and I nodded, and once more, the chains uncoiled.

Williamson helped me stand again. Slowly, I curled my hair back around my right ear, then after closing my eyes, coiled the left side of my hair across my right shoulder, exposing where my ear had been. I knew it looked terrible, and the gasps and mutterings from the room confirmed it. Then I undid the first two ties of the gown and inched it down, then held it with one hand in front of me. "Six punctures from one of the enemy wolves. He pinned me." I almost whispered, and I laid out my hand, curling my fingers like a paw, providing a tiny visual compared to the spacing of the holes. I sat down again without being asked.

"Jenny needed medical attention, her lungs were filling with blood, so she was transferred to St. Mungo's. The only way she was admitted was as if she was treated as a patient in the psychiatric ward. At that time, I believed Jenny to be a psychotic murderer, so I insisted upon this until I started the investigation. By then, it was too late, she was stuck that way. Jenny healed, and provided as much testimony and memories that she could give. On rare occasions, and with small amounts of magic, Jenny can use a wand. That is how most of her memories were offered." The Wizengamot started muttering, but monocle woman ignored them, watching me, her eyes full of nothing but pity.

"She can use magic? Show us." The Minister barked, and the chains uncoiled. I stood, and waited for Williamson to hand me my wand. When he placed it in my hand, the warmth was there for some reason, even though I wasn't mad. I'd have to ask Ollivander about that, I shouldn't have been able to use magic.

"_Aguamenti._" I said softly, and the gentle stream of water fell from the tip of the wand, sending the court into an uproar.

"Why was this not displayed in the beginning of the trial!" The woman boomed finally, hushing everyone. "It is clear that she can use magic, why are we here discussing her citizenship?"

"Because, your Honor, she can barely complete the magic of a first year. This magic comes from the werewolf magic inside of her. She was born and still remains a Muggle." Fat man said coolly, smirking at me. I lowered my wand to stop the flow of water. "Produce a Patronus," Bollig snapped.

"Your Honor, please, I feel-" Dawlish started, but the woman silenced him with a look down her monocle. I bit my lip in hesitation. What were you supposed to do again? A happy memory? What was my _happiest_ memory of all? I thought of the time I was sitting with Teddy on the cliffs, full of that free feeling, finally gone from Malfoy Manor, safe for the first time in half a year.

"_Expecto Patronum." _I said clearly, focusing exactly on the point where Teddy had made me chuckle. My arm started vibrating and I felt my face withdraw as a silver vapor began to build slowly in the air, causing a stir in the room as it slowly got stronger and stronger. It formed into a body with four legs, then a tail…until finally, a tiger jumped lightly to the floor and it suddenly filled me with warmth as it looked around, it's edges blurring as my vision blurred.

"Unbelievable," the woman's monocle fell out and clinked onto her papers into the silence.

"Jenny, let it go." Williamson said, then looked at me and started to come over, but it looked like he was walking at slow mo speed. "Jenny," he said, but it sounded like he was calling to me from across the courtroom. He was suddenly next to me, his hand light around my wrist, moving it downward slowly. The Patronus shimmered then died. Instantly, my vision swarmed to black, and I felt Williamsons other arm snake around my back to steady me as I swayed. "Jenny, are you alright?" He asked next to my ear, and when I didn't respond, he let me fall carefully into my chair. Other than Williamsons' voice, all I heard was the buzzing of the courtroom.

"I'm fine." I gasped finally, struggling to sit up when the black spots started to fade.

"Jenny, take it easy, it's alright. Your still weak and that was incredibly advanced magic. Just rest for a minute." Williamson said lowly I my ear.

"Do we need a Mediwizard? Has she fainted?" I heard the woman ask.

"No, she's alright, Madam Bones." Williamson called. "_Are_ you alright?" He asked me, and I nodded, making myself open my eyes. I was slumped down in the chair, Williamson crouched next to me looking concerned. I was still trembling, but Madam Pane had said something about that before I fell asleep. Instinctively, I looked up into the crowd until I found Draco. It wasn't that hard, he was standing, looking torn between sitting and vaulting down into the courtroom. I stared at him until our eyes locked for a moment, and drew strength just from his image. He looked paler and thinner from the last time I had seen him. He was wearing a high collared plain black suit with a thin green tie for the trial, his hair perfect, just like a Malfoy. Then I looked away and sat up straight.

"I just can't believe I did it. What does it mean, a tiger?" I asked quietly, and he frowned.

"The tiger signifies great fierceness and valor when enraged to combat. It also symbolizes one whose resentment will be dangerous if aroused. But it is also a symbol of balance, fierce yet gentle, that sort of thing." Williamson said just as quietly. "It is a good Patronus. This might sound strange, but Dawlish and I are proud of you." I went to retort, but the fat man for the prosecution huffed loudly.

"Can we _please_ continue?" He asked dangerously, and after some glaring by Madam Bones, the courtroom settled down to silence once more. The chains glowed again, and they re-coiled around my arms.

"In light of recent evidence, I would like to propose a quick-vote on the issue of whether Jenny can be considered a Wizarding Citizen. She can produce a Patronus." Dawlish said, and fat man looked furious, but stayed quiet.

"You do realize that if she is voted to be a citizen, the process of the trial will be more extensive, as then she will truly be bound by Wizarding Law." A very old looking woman stood up, and she looked to be the head of the Wizengamot.

"I do," Dawlish said firmly.

"Then we shall recess for 10 minutes to give the Wizengamot time to deliberate." Madam Bones said clearly, and the chains unwound. Almost instantly, the door I came in from opened, and Madam Pane came bustling in with another Healer behind her, carrying a pile of junk.

"Madam Pane, what's the matter?" I asked her as she came over and knelt a little to see me better.

"You are what the matter is. That was an extraordinary bout of magic that you shouldn't have been able to produce. And you still require medical attention. I also brought real clothes for you to wear instead of that." She waved her wand in a complicated little circle, and a little changing room appeared from nowhere. I went to object, but she shoved the clothes into my arms and propelled me to the door. Seeing no other choice, I went inside and changed hastily, having to lean against the wall several times. She hadn't lied, I was incredibly weak. When I emerged, Tonks nearly tackled me with a hug, making me gasp in surprise.

"I'm sorry, I know that was hard. But you are doing so well. A Patronus!" She blabbered excitedly, pulling away to examine me. Madam Pane huffed and edged her out of the way, handing me a potion.

"What does it do, and what is it for?" I asked, and she chuckled weakly with a hint of recognition.

"It will replace all the nutrients you didn't get while you were asleep. It will help ease the weakness, and hopefully, the trembling. You're shaking like a leaf." She said dryly, so I sipped at it, surprised at how good it tasted as I caught up quickly about what had happened, and what day it was.

"Today is the 8th? Of _May?"_ I repeated, just to get it straight, and Draco nodded before hugging me again, and for a moment, all we did was rock just slightly back and forth, reconnecting. "It's good to be back." I told him quietly when we finally pulled apart.

"It's good to see you like this. I don't think I could have taken another day seeing you in the hospital. Bollig was being such an ass-"

"Bollig?" I asked, confused. "Who's Bollig?" Draco scowled.

"That disgusting excuse for a man for the Ministry's prosecution. The one who insisted that you produce a Patronus…which speaking of, I can't believe it!" Draco changed topics too fast, and I narrowed my eyes and then turned to look at Bollig. He was talking with the Minister and smirking, nodding repeatedly so that his chins folded further, making me shudder. He was absolutely vile.

"I missed you." I confessed, and he embraced me again, kissing the top of my head, and then my forehead.

"Jenny, this is good, this is _excellent._" Dawlish butted in before we could say anything more. "I'm positive that you will become a citizen. Our case is almost finished, and I'm betting that tomorrow will be interrogations and cross-examinations by our Prosecutor. Then he will lay his case and we can cross-examine all of his evidence. But I can tell by the reactions to your memories from the Wizengamot and in the audience that you have everyone's sympathy."

"No one likes to see things that disturbing." I said quietly, and he nodded, looking almost embarrassed. "But thank you," I added, before he could turn away. "For representing me." He nodded once awkwardly, then turned and walked away.

"Well, that was-" Draco started, but Madam Pane appeared by my shoulder again, turning me to face her and started to fuss. She was almost as bad as Madam Pompfrey.

"You look much better already, better color, better pupil dilation…" she trailed off as she examined the hole where my ear used to be. Then she took my arm firmly and conjured a comfortable squashy looking chair, and sat me down. It felt good to let the chairs fluffiness support my weight. After a few more minutes of talking with my family, I noticed the reporters. Lined up on the edge of the bar, the all had cameras and were snapping pictures. Quik Quotes Quills were writing furiously onto floating pads of paper. Other reporters were taking that information and pictures and dashing away with them, to do what, I had no idea.

"Oh, ignore them, Jenny. Don't talk to any of them unless we do, alright? Most of them are more rabid than Rita Skeeter." Mrs. Weasley said to me, and leaving me to wonder who Rita Skeeter was, she gathered her bunch and forced them all back up into the stands as Madam Bones approached her podium, the Minister following.

"Good luck. Stay strong, I love you." Draco said, and we kissed briefly before he followed Tonks and Lupin back up to their seats.

"This court will come back in session." Madam Bones boomed into the crowd. Madam Pane vanished the chair and left as I sat back down. I wasn't that tired anymore, thanks to her. I'd have to thank her after the courts adjourned for the day. "Is your voting complete?" She asked the Wizengamot, and the old woman stood up again.

"All for the grant of citizenship?" She asked, and many raised their hands, but I kept my poker face on and just scanned them, trying to count the number of hands. "All opposed?" She asked, and to me, it looked like the same number of hands went up, but Dawlish and Williamson grinned at each other.

"This court grants full Wizarding citizenship to Jennifer Lillian Quinty." Madam Bones said clearly, and the Minister scowled. "Gentlemen, continue your affidavits." She looked down at Williamson and Dawlish, who seemed to spring to life.

"Right, now we'd like to eliminate the idea that Jenny is vicious because she is a werewolf. We'd like to call Remus J. Lupin to testify."


	23. Lullaby

Lullaby

_The world has turned the day to dark_

_I leave this night with heavy heart_

_When I return to dry your eyes_

_I will sing this lullaby_

Jenny

5/8/10

I immediately looked back up to where I thought Lupin had gone, back to sit with Draco and Tonks, but instead, the doors behind me opened again, and Lupin walked forward. He went and sat in the bar for the left side, my side. "Remus J. Lupin, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you Merlin?" Madam Bones asked, and she sounded almost bored.

"I do." Lupin said quietly. I looked down as he continued to look straight ahead. I realized the less connected we looked, the more legit his testimony would seem.

"How long have you been a werewolf?" Dawlish started right away, and Lupin sighed. He actually looked much better than the last time I had seen him. He was wearing fancy dress robes, like Draco was, even though he looked tired. I couldn't help but wonder where he had gotten them.

"I've been a werewolf since I was 6 years old." Lupin answered coolly. I knew he was taking this as an opportunity to help kill some of the werewolf stereotype. I could only hope that it would work.

"Have you noticed that you are more aggressive and irritable, Mr. Lupin?"

"No, my personality stayed the same."

"The same? Explain, please."

"When someone is bitten, the magic from that werewolf is unique. It reflects the person that werewolf is. I was bitten by an undocumented werewolf, so I still don't know their identity. If I have taken on their personality, I wouldn't know."

"So if you were bitten by a more aggressive person, there is a chance that you will be like them after the transformation is complete? Like Jenny?"

"Yes and no. If the person bitten isn't strong enough to fight off the magic in their brain during the transformation, they will change. Jenny was able to keep her personality." Lupin glanced at me for only a second, and then looked back to Dawlish.

"Describe a transformation."

"The magic in a bite keeps it open until the magic can seep into the blood stream and head for the brain. The sensation is cold, and always extremely painful. The only way I can explain it is like getting frostbite on every inch of your body, and that isn't even close to the true feeling. Once the magic either enters the brain or changes all of the body but the brain, it resides in the blood forever, making a werewolf dangerous when it is not aware of whom they really are. If they bite someone, their magic starts the process over again, but with a new kind of personality in question." Lupin said flatly. I knew he was remembering his and mine.

"Is there anyway you can stop yourself from changing in the moons light? Can you choose not to be a werewolf?" Dawlish asked, and Lupin's face darkened.

"Being a werewolf is not a lifestyle choice, it's a forced way of life. Being in moonlight is an uncontrollable reaction. Once you are bitten, you have no choice." He said frostily.

"When you take a Wolfsbane Potion, are you aware of who you are and your morals?"

"Under the influence of the Wolfsbane Potion, it is like being a human, except you are trapped in a wolf's body until morning. You can think, feel and remember anything. Nothing changes except your form."

"What are your normal injuries after a night as a wolf?"

"With the Wolfsbane Potion, almost none. Maybe a strained or pulled muscle, and you are very sore. Without it, you can break bones, lose appendages, and suffer from many lacerations. Also, wolves howl more, which makes you lose your voice." Lupin glanced lightly at me again, but I kept looking straight ahead.

"Are you a threat to society? Will you kill innocent people?"

Lupin chuckled. "Absolutely not. A very dear friend makes potions for me, and I always Apparate to isolated forests during a full moon. Werewolves are not dangerous." Lupin finished firmly. I looked up only slightly at the way he mentioned Draco. A 'very dear friend' was how he put it. What did that mean?

"Thank you, Mr. Lupin, you may be seated." Dawlish said formally, and Lupin left the stand. "As you can see, Jenny's condition couldn't be a contributing factor to the murders she committed. And speaking of, I'd like to ask Jenny a few questions about werewolves." He said, and I looked up in surprise. "So, Jenny, how are you?" He asked me casually, and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. I thought courtrooms were full of decorum and formality. The snickers coming from the Wizengamot only fueled my thought process.

"Fine." I said quietly, but he almost talked over me.

"Speak up! I want everyone to hear what you have to say." He said earnestly and almost in a jolly fashion, like a giant Santa on steroids.

"I'm feeling fine." I said clearly, and the Wizengamot died down.

"Good, good…but how are you really, Jenny? I know you're lying to me. You can't possibly be fine." He changed topics in an instant, but I was used to it from spying on Umbridge for so long. I knew how to play.

"I really am fine, sir." I said easily, but he shook his head.

"No, no. How are you?" He pressed again, then turned around and said something I didn't catch to Madam Bones who looked at him like he was crazy, but after a moment, the chains unwound, and I felt my eyebrows raise, but remained seated. "Answer the question, Jenny." Dawlish suddenly sounded frosty.

"I'm _fine._" I emphasized, wondering what the hell he was doing.

"Damn it, Jenny!" He shouted, and pulled me to my feet. For a second, I was back at Malfoy Manor before I remembered where I was. Whatever he was doing, he must have had a motive. He wouldn't hurt me. "I asked you how you were feeling. Now answer me." He demanded, glaring down at me, having to stand a little straighter to get a height advantage. When I didn't respond, he actually slapped my face. It made my cheek sting, and I moved back a step, my hand automatically cupping it, shocked. He _hit_ me. In a _courtroom._

"Auror Dawlish, what is your point, exactly?" Madam Bones asked, sounding just as stunned as I was as he continued to glare at me for a moment, and then dropped the act entirely.

"Now, if Jenny really was an angry, lethal killing machine, like Greyback was, would she really have just stood there? Would you have just stood there?" He asked, suddenly buddy-buddy with me, putting a casual arm around my shoulders. I shook my head, still touching the spot. "Here. _Episkey._" He healed the spot. "Better?" He asked, and I just nodded again. I had really underestimated him. "Now…I'd like to call Draco Malfoy down here please. Just for a moment." He said calmly, turning us on the spot to watch Malfoy cautiously come down. "No, stay there." He said as he began to approach, and Draco stopped. "Now…let's say that Draco was in trouble." He said and I flinched under Dawlish's arm as Williamson transfigured his clothing to Death Eater robes and began to stride over to Malfoy. My heart immediately started to race at the sight of the billowing robes. "What would you do, Jenny?" Dawlish asked me, removing his arm. Williamson whispered something to Malfoy, then stepped behind him and lightly rested his wand on his throat, making my face pale.

"I-" I started, and took a few slow steps forward, but halted when Williamson lightly tapped his throat, and I felt my hand drift down to where a gun used to hang on my hips.

"You'd attack him. Why?" Dawlish said, seeing my hand close around air where the weapon would be.

"Because he's going to hurt him," I barely said it, not daring to look away from Draco. I knew I was trembling again.

"Now, let's say that you and Williamson were evenly matched." He said, and Williamson handed Draco his wand then started to approach me. "Now what would you do? Quickly, Jenny, he's getting closer…" Dawlish goaded, and I took back a few steps to retaliate, until Williamson was right up in my face. Reflexively, I picked him up and body slammed him into the ground. When I realized what I had done, I instantly knelt next to Williamson who was trembling.

"God, I'm sorry, I really am, I didn't mean-" I ranted, pulling him upright, but then I realized that he wasn't trembling, but _laughing._ Without offering an explanation, he threw a punch, and again, by reflex, I caught it and twisted his arm back. Halfway through, I remembered again, and instantly let go, turning him around. "_Shit,_ I'm sorry-" I ducked as he threw a punch straight for the bridge of my nose and headbutted him so that he stumbled and then fell. I blinked, then immediately crossed over and helped him up. "Honestly, I didn't-"

"You see? Jenny, faced in a dangerous situation, _reflexively_ goes on defense, not offense. I'm sure that in a real fight, she wouldn't stop to apologize to her opponent, but this was just a demonstration with someone she knew. Thank you, Jenny." Dawlish said pleasantly, and I looked between Williamson (who now looked normal again) and Dawlish, then at Draco, who was crossing to return Williamson's wand. He kissed my cheek on his way back to the crowd.

"Here, you're shaking again. Sit," Williamson reminded me kindly, and I blinked to refocus, then took his hand and sat back down again with his assistance. I _was_ trembling again, but I guess that was only to be expected.

"Ladies and Gentleman, you have seen inside Jenny's mind. You have seen proof that in a life-threatening situation, she goes on a defensive streak until it would become necessary to become offensive. You have heard and seen testimony regarding the truth about werewolves. Jenny has had a hard life here in the wizarding world. She's made choices, not all of them good, but she's made the best out of each situation. She's strong." Dawlish glanced at me with a smile, and then continued. "Our mission today was to show you that her murders, although wrong, were actually helpful to the war, and if committed by a wizard, or one of that status- which she is now," Dawlish's face turned satisfactory, "would be celebrated, not brought to court. I have no doubt that if faced with the same situation, most would want revenge. I'll leave you all for today with one last memory."

Williamson rapped his wand on the Pensive, and my face swam into view.

_I was pale and waxen, as usual, but even to me, I looked incredibly unhappy and stressed. "Jenny, I'm torn. I approve of what you are doing somehow, but I still want you to try to be safe. I'm trying to be your father and doing a terrible job." Lupin started, and I shook my head fiercely. _

"_I may have left for a while, but I'll be safe, and you are being a perfect father to me. You'll have plenty of time to keep me in check once this war is over, or I get to most of, if not all the Death Eaters." _ I finally recognized the memory and looked down again. I couldn't imagine how Lupin must have felt giving this up. This one of the most private moments both of us had ever experienced.

"_That brings us to what I wanted to ask you about…Jenny, are you alright? You've killed people, so you must be angry yet." I stared at him a moment, then looked at the floor._

"_Well, Lupin…this is why I've been avoiding coming here as much as I have been." I took a deep breath. "I don't mind at all what I've done. I'm not proud of it, but I honestly don't care." Lupin inhaled sharply. "Yes, I'm still angry, and I still miss them. This won't make feel any better, and it used to, but it never fills the holes anymore."_ _I admitted. "It actually makes it somewhat worse…remembering what started my spree everyday, with every kill. But I suppose I sort of deserve it. I am taking lives after all." Lupin hugged me._

"_You just put all my fears to rest. I'm sorry it hurts, Jenny, and I'm sorry that you still miss them. I still miss a good friend of mine, who was murdered by Bellatrix and imprisoned for most of his life on a crime he didn't commit." Lupin ended slowly, letting me go. When we pulled apart, both of our faces were tortured and miserable._

"_Sirius…Sirius Black. Harry's godfather." I said after a moment, looking thoughtful, and he nodded. "From what I heard," I started, visually trying to cheer him, "he died doing what he wanted, fighting for what was right. It was cruel and terrible what happened to him his whole life…but at least he knew some kind of happiness from you and Harry." Lupin looked up, and my face turned shocked when I saw his tears. _

"_I wish I could say the same thing for the people you are avenging; your family, your friends." I looked at him a moment, my expression unreadable, then reached into one of the pockets on my jumpsuit and pulled out my battered wallet from when I was a Muggle. I still carried it as a habit._

"_Here are my adoptive parents. My dad's name was David, my mom's Barbara. They look nothing like me, but they were good to me." I tugged out the photograph from behind my Drivers License and handed it to him. Seeing that photo made tears spring from my eyes instantly. I still thought of them everyday. _

"_You were adopted?" Lupin asked in surprise, examining the photo. _

"_I think I told Hermione once out of the week I spent with her. Don't feel like you've forgotten. I didn't think it was important, considering I would never see them again." I smiled sadly at the photograph as he handed it back. I tucked into my wallet again without looking at Lupin, then felt my fingers drop the wallet as tears welled up over my eyes, despite my best efforts. I put my face in my hands and felt Lupin put a hand on my back as I cried. "They didn't have to die, my family, my f-friends. None of them had to and it's my fault." I said very softly, wiping my face clean and looking up into Lupin's face._

"_Jenny, you can't blame yourself for being the random victim of a horrible attack. And if you parents knew the situation, I'm sure they would be very proud of you, just like I am."_

The memory ended quickly, and I hastily swiped under my eyes and looked straight ahead unseeingly as a new one began, almost like a slideshow, but silent as Dawlish talked over it. Bellatrix was smashing the lamp down into my face—I was frozen in the moonlight, one sock halfway off—"Jenny is a good person… thrown into our world without a say." Dawlish said firmly. The Weasley's and the trio were sitting on a flight of steps, and I felt my mouth open into a tiny 'o' as a terrible scream split the silence of the courtroom. The agony in that scream was unlike any I had ever heard, and it sent a shiver up my spine when I realized it was mine. Then I flinched when Voldemort appeared in the memory, watching me intently as the fire spit in the background—"Her story and memories are terrible. They hurt to watch. Enduring them hurt Jenny more than I can convey to you, although you have seen that she is not usually as delicate as you see her today." Dawlish continued. I was running through the forest, glancing back to see Kingsley charging after me, twigs slapping my face as I ran faster, trying to get to Draco first—Kingsley was back, chuckling darkly under his breath as he nuzzled my neck, his hands tightening then releasing over my breasts— I looked away, feeling myself tense. "Jenny deserves to be cleared of these charges, and she deserves your respect." Dawlish finished, and thankfully, the memories stopped for good.


	24. Who Says

Who Says

_Who says I can't be free?_

_From all of the things that I used to be_

_Re-write my history_

_Who says I can't be free?_

Jenny

5/8/11

3:21 p.m.

The audience filed out slowly, and the press didn't even move. However, the Wizengamot quickly exited the courtroom, including the Minister and the prosecution Auror, Bollig. Madam Bones started to make her way down to us as Draco enveloped me in another hug, and I held him tight. Then he passed me off to Lupin, and he picked me up off the ground with his embrace. "This afternoon, we'll catch you up on everything you missed. I know that today was probably confusing and probably enough to scare the-" He stopped talking and drew me close to his side as Madam Bones parted our group to stop in front of us.

"I just wanted to say that you are the most extraordinary person I have ever met, Miss Quinty. Good luck to you." She said quietly but with such warmth in contrast to her normal person, that I felt a smile grow before I even realized it.

"Thank you." I said quietly, and she nodded briskly, then turned and walked away. When I turned back to the group, Hermione tackled me, and we staggered back several steps before I caught my balance. Hermione didn't even say anything, she just cried on me. "Hermione, I'm right here," I said as comfortingly as possible while trying to pull slowly away. "I'm fine, you're fine, the whole world is bloody brilliant, actually-" she stopped my rant by holding me by my shoulders to look at me.

"If I had known what was happening to you, I _swear_ I would have done everything to keep it from happening. I abandoned you early on to hunt for the Horcruxes, and look at all the despair you got into." She sniffed, quickly using the back of her hand to wipe tears off her cheeks.

"Hermione, what's done is done. I appreciate it, but I'd rather have this all happen to me than any other unprepared Muggle."

"But it's not _fair!_" Hermione stamped her foot like a little girl, and I laughed for the first time in a long time and I found that I couldn't stop, especially when her face flushed a deep red, then she started laughing too. For just a moment, I wasn't thinking about the trial, or how I was trembling, or what all I had missed. For a second, I felt like I was back with Hermione at my house, laughing about something dumb she had just said.

Williamson and Dawlish escorted me (and the family) back to St. Mungo's, and I was shocked by the amount of reporters everywhere. I thought that was only something that happened in crappy Muggle flicks. But, at any rate, we made it back to my hospital room, and fell into easy and relaxed conversation, it was almost a party. I was constantly being called around the room, so my hospital bed was the last place I went to. But even then, I didn't have to get in it-in fact, I got to sit in a deep squishy chair and drink potions as the conversations continued. Once and a while, Lupin would leave, but he would always come back with a different newspaper or magazine.

They were full of pictures from the trial. I tried to ignore those as much as possible and only read the text. I couldn't help but fill with hope as I read tabloid after tabloid. They all reported exactly on what we had said. But then they would back it up, agreeing with us! The free feeling was almost better than the memory I used for my Patronus, because I new that this feeling would last a bit longer.

5/9/11

The next day, I was holding onto that feeling, knowing that it wouldn't last. Today was Bollig's day to make a case. I was only there to be presented as a murderous and bloodthirsty person, a dangerous werewolf. This time, Dawlish escorted me down to the courtroom, and I entered the same way as last time, but stronger. I still trembled, but I did not feel weak on my feet. I fixed a cold gaze on Bollig as he waddled closer to me, drumming his fingertips together. He watched me for a moment. "Ladies and Gentlemen. Yesterday, you met the carefully edited and 'polite' Jennifer Quinty. Today, you will see _all_ sides of Miss Quinty." He stopped in front of me, looking smug, then turned and rapped his wand on the Pensive. The whole courtroom gasped as I appeared on the screen.

_I hardly recognized myself. My face was cool and unflinching, but my eyes were full of a fierce anger. I still didn't look healthy, very thin and pale yet from the Manor incident. Bellatrix sneered at me, and my eyes flashed with fury. _I flinched and I had to look away when without looking, I raised my arm in the memory and shot the Minister. It wasn't loud, but the tiny pop seemed magnified to my ears.

"As you can see," Bollig started slowly, curtly, "Miss Quinty is not at all what she seems. Not in the least." He rapped the Pensive again, and the memory continued.

"_Goodbye, Bellatrix, Rodolphus. This isn't for me, this is for my family." Without any hesitation, I shot Rodolphus._

"_Is this what Brian would want?" Bellatrix smirked, her eyes suddenly boring into my face. My face turned dark, and I carefully raised the gun to place it perfectly between her brows too._

"_Brian is dead, you helped kill him," I snarled, but she shook her head, an evil grin starting to grow on her face. My face turned darker still._

"_You sparked an interest in the Dark Lord, Muggle. Your precious Brian may turn out to be just as useful as you were." She started to laugh. In a sudden rush, my face filled with unbridled hate. I pulled the trigger. With another tiny pop, Bellatrix fell too. _

"The picture painted of Miss Quinty yesterday couldn't be farther from the truth." Bollig said slyly, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him. The mention of Brian brought such pain to my senses that I had to close my eyes and picture him again. The sandy slightly curling hair, the freckles and kind hazel eyes, the gap between his front teeth that he could shoot water through—"I am here today to show you all just how heartless Miss Quinty can really be. Yes, it's true, she has been through a lot. She's been tortured and abused. But is this what led to her downward spiral? A girl lost in a world that has only hurt her, a world she doesn't understand. She's full of confusion, grief and hate. Is that enough to start to tear down her common sense, her consciousness? I'd like to call Psychiatrist Robert Flunders to the stand." His voice suddenly turned harsh and snappy, and after a moment, a tiny little man, thin in the extreme came in and sat down. His face was pursed constantly, and he looked around down his nose and spectacles, steeping his fingers. I disliked him instantly. "Dr. Flunders, you have studied psychiatry for how long?" Bollig barked.

"12 years." Flunders' voice was high and reedy, and it always sounded somewhat annoyed.

"Look at the defendant. What would you say her mental state is, based on appearance alone?" Bollig smirked in my direction, but I met Flunders' gaze evenly, using my perfect Kingsley poker face.

"Very young, yet very weathered. Calm and collected; precisely organized. A very strange mix." Flunders studied me intensely, and I worked not to shift under his gaze. "Hmmm…this young woman knows how to manage her emotions." He elaborated, stroking his clean shaven face as if he had an elaborate goatee.

"What do you mean, 'managed'?" Bollig leapt on his words.

"As in carefully controlled and stored." Flunders said, sounding even more annoyed.

"So she could possibly be harboring emotion deep inside? Like anger?" Bollig emphasized the word anger, and I had to fight down the same emotion that came roaring up towards him. His greasy face suddenly sent fire into my nerves.

"Hmmm…possibly…possibly. A more thorough examination would be needed."

"_Exactly._" Bollig strutted in-between us for a moment. "Quinty, Dr. Flunders is going to ask you some questions. Questions that can be answered truthfully through memories. Do not lie, do not attempt to bend the truth, or we will know. Dr. Flunders, you may begin." Bollig leaned against the bar as Flunders shuffled his papers and then began.

"Miss Quinty, how old are you?"

"I'm sixteen."

"And how long have you been away from the life you have always known? Your _Muggle_ life?" He asked almost impatiently.

"Almost a year, sir."

"Almost a year! That's a long time…but you have made friends and been adopted into another family here in the Wizarding World, is that correct?"

"Yes." I kept talking dryly, even though my mind was racing. What was he trying to get at?

"But there has been trying and grief-filled times within this family, is that correct?" I raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Once you arrived at the Order, things started going wrong, people started getting hurt…correct?"

"Yes," I said much quieter, realizing finally what he was trying to do.

"I'm sure it felt as if you didn't fit in anywhere…tut, tut…" Dr. Flunders tried to sound sympathetic, but he failed miserably. "And you've been the cause of unnecessary deaths within the Order's ranks, isn't that right?" When I didn't answer right away, he pressed on. "Two Aurors, Hestia Jones and Dedalus Diggle…captured, tortured and murdered trying to protect your identity. A Brian Schwenn, your last tie to the Muggle world…severed so easily in the heat of battle, coming after you…they didn't need to die, did they? How about your old Muggle family? Had you not given away their location during imprisonment, they wouldn't have been slain, now would they?"

"Hestia and Dedalus volunteered to go on the hunt. Brian," I closed my eyes a second, "Brian had nowhere else to go. And it's not as if I gave away my family's location willingly, Dr. Flunders." I let my tone drop to chilling tones, releasing some pent up emotion. How _dare _he try to suggest that I let the Death Eaters take answers from me so willingly. We stared each other down for a moment.

"After these deaths, how did you feel?" Dr. Flunders moved on to a more dangerous topic, not giving up that easily. I frowned.

"I was obviously very upset. If I didn't exist, none of these deaths would have happened in the manner that they did. Naturally, I felt like I should take some of the blame." I resumed my dry tone.

"You seem very detached now…but during the actual moment, you weren't so calm and rational-headed…no, you got very angry, didn't you Miss Quinty? You swore revenge, and not just any kind of revenge. No, you needed something much more gratifying. You needed the feeling of taking back control, of establishing your sick form of justice. You believed that all Death Eaters should pay for what happened. So, you deliberately killed as many Death Eaters as you could find, isn't that right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Does that haunt you at night, Miss Quinty? Slaying people without hesitation? Does that not weigh on your consciousness? _Have you no shame?"_ He leaned forward, watching me with suddenly beady eyes.

"I'm sorry for letting my emotions get the better of me, and I'm sorry that deaths of my loved ones were partly my fault…but I can't say that I'm sorry for killing Dark Wizards who were murdering scum who sought to destroy the peace of the Wizarding World." Dr. Flunders seemed to rock backwards for a moment, then he stroked his face again.

"I believe that I am finished, Auror Bollig." He simpered.

"And what is your diagnosis?" Bollig simpered back.

"That Miss Quinty is irrational and somewhat cruel. Definitely heartless and unwilling to accept the reality of the Wizarding World." His words were like a slap, but I continued to meet his gaze lifelessly, as if this didn't matter at all.

"Thank you, Dr. Flunders. Ladies and Gentlemen, Dr. Flunders just gave his very educated guess as to what goes on inside of Quinty's head. Would you like to see what it is really like?" He fixed me with a cold, cold glare, and my stomach suddenly flipped over as the very faint and sluggish memory from when I was slowly waking up from the Draught of the Living Death came back to me. That strange feeling as if someone had been digging around in my head, the headache. But that was impossible, I had been drugged, there was no way that he could have gotten into my head—"A demonstration. A memory from the defendant's head, showing a clearly murderous intent." Bollig said, turning on the spot to rap the Pensive with his wand.


	25. Locked In

Locked In

_You're lying through your teeth_

_it doesn't seem to be that bad_

_until a good friends corpse is lying on the floor_

_I can't seem to get by_

_when all I'm living on is fake smiles_

Jenny

5/9/10

3:20 p.m.

Bollig's wand hitting the Pensive seemed to echo loudly in my head as the room automatically dimmed so that the memory could clearly be seen. It _was _a memory from my own mind, and I frantically searched through my head, trying to remember how he got it.

"_What will you do once we actually kill them? You know this won't bring them back, your past friends and family. I'm sorry, Jenny, but I don't want you to hurt yourself anymore than they already have." Draco was insisting hurriedly to me, raising his hands as I turned quickly on the spot in anger. In the ten seconds it took for him to speak, my rage had grown exponentially until I could feel my eyes flash. For one searing second, I felt like he deserved pain, sheer raw pain. It faded as soon as I saw his face. Guilt rose in me. That was the second time in recent history that I felt that craving._

"How did you get that?" I gasped as it cut off, and Bollig's smug grin grew even wider.

"Despite your 'sleepy' state, I was still given permission from the Wizengamot to collect evidence from you."

"That was private," I said angrily, but even more horrified that anyone would poke through someone else's mind like that.

"You don't deserve privacy anymore. You gave that up when you became a citizen. Are you embarrassed to see your true self for everyone to see? Willing to attack your own loved ones?" He challenged, slowly advancing as I stiffened in outrage.

"If you hadn't trimmed that memory for your own gain, you would have seen that I broke down crying from shame, and that I never felt like that again-"

"Never again, hmmm?" Bollig barked over me, and rapped his wand on the Pensive again.

_It was another time when I hardly recognized myself. I was full of grief, looking more like a skeleton than a healthy person. I was dreadfully angry, shouting and swearing at Lupin, my face still wet from tears._

"That happened before the first memory you showed. That only happened twice." I said frostily, but Bollig _chortled._

"Look at you, swearing in the face of the man who has become your father figure. Later on, you're bi-polar. Face it, Quinty, your mind is unstable and uncontrollable."

"No, if my mind at any point has been unstable, it was when I was captive at the Malfoy Manor, sir." I said dryly, swallowing the anger forcefully. "I'm perfectly capable of managing myself, as your own psychiatrist said earlier." We glared at each other, almost face to face as the courtroom burst into titters. His face turned ugly, then smoothed into a mask that might have reflected pity once, but was no longer capable. It turned into a sick sort of grimace.

"How terribly sad. Your grasp of reality has completely faded, my dear. You see, in this world, people don't get away with murder, no matter how crazy and dangerous they are."

"I'd like to see you prove that first," I snapped, and he leaned back away from me, smirking.

"Oh, don't worry. That's what I am about to do, werewolf. I would like to call George Eads to the stand." Bollig said dangerously, and a very tan man with wild grey hair and very patched clothing came in and sat. "What is your profession, Mr. Eads?" Bollig asked almost triumphantly.

"I'm a Dark Beast catcha'." The man rasped and I couldn't help but shudder. He killed people like me for a _living._

"So you've observed werewolves and the people who become them, is that right?"

"Yeah, yeah, you gots to hunt em' down first, you know what I'm sayin'?" He started to laugh, and Bollig let him for a moment.

"What are the people like?" Bollig asked loudly.

"Most of em' is nomads ya know? All detached from society and the like."

"Are they dangerous?"

"Most of em' are disgusting ugly brutes to be honest. They be livin' in the wild all the time, and that ain't good for the mind, ya know?"

"Can you believe that this girl is a werewolf?" Bollig asked, and I had to work hard to keep my gaze lifeless as I let my eyes lock onto Eads'. He started to chuckle again, his eyes raking over repeatedly, instantly reminding me of Kingsley.

"If she wasn't all battle-scarred I'd say that she'd be a hot-" Bollig cut him off hurriedly.

"Battle-scarred?"

"Ya know, covered in the scratches and the like. I mean, werewolves be fightin' all the time, they're so territorial an' all. Most of the time they'd be maulin' away on anythin' that be crossin their path. Yeah," He looked at me again, and cockily waggled his eyebrows at me.

"That'll be all, thank you." Bollig said, sounding satisfied. Eads looked at me one last time before wolf-whistling and leaving, make my face pale. What an asshole. "And to end my affidavit, I'd like to examine a relationship Quinty had, and how irresponsible and un-caring she was about this person's health and well being. I'm talking, of course, about Brian Schwenn." Bollig said in his sleazy tone, and I felt my face pale further. "Back when Jenny was where she belonged, she had a boyfriend, Brian Schwenn. When she was questioned during her stay at Malfoy Manor, she happened to mention that he knew this 'karate', also known as martial arts. So instead of being murdered on the spot along with the rest of her family, he was taken to Malfoy Manor to be trained as a spy for the Death Eaters. After Jenny killed more of Voldemort's followers, he was sent out as an assassin, to kill Jenny or to kill Order members as collateral. Once Jenny rescued him, she didn't take him somewhere safe, didn't give him time to heal, and didn't even resume the relationship they had together. Instead, she chose to stay with her new man, make Brian apart of her team, and take him out to murder more people."

By the time he finished, I was shaking. Brain's death had been my fault, but _where _would he have gone? Bollig was almost lying through his teeth. I couldn't help myself, I had to say something. "Either tell the truth or say nothing at all," I hissed, and he arranged his face to mock surprise.

"Excuse me?" He asked, trying to sound wounded. He failed miserably, but I was too angry to care.

"Don't talk about Brian like that in front of me." I said slowly and coldly. He smirked, and leaned close to me, meeting my glare with a satisfied and smug face.

"Did you _love_ him, Quinty?" He mocked, and I snapped.

"You fucking prick, if you knew anything about love," I swore at him, hands clenched into fists, and he started to chuckle, cutting me off, still watching me intently.

"My, my…such…_angry_ behavior. Minister, I'd like to recommend isolation and a continuation of the previous treatment given to Quinty, to calm her down. We wouldn't want anyone _else_ getting hurt, now would we?" He asked, and any blood left in my face drained away.

"That isn't at all necessary; Auror Bollig was provoking the witness and behaving like a child." Dawlish said curtly, and Bollig glared at him. They stared meanly at each other as the Minister stroked his chin, thinking.

"I agree with Auror Bollig. After we finish today's session, Quinty will receive the same treatment as the Wizengamot deliberates." The Minister's smug smile seemed miles away as my brain reeled. I would lose myself again, be lost in that black, sticky tar-like substance. How long would I sleep this time?

"Auror Bollig was provoking the witness -that cannot stand here in this court!" Dawlish argued, but the Minister raised a hand and he quieted, looking furious. I closed my eyes to try to vanish his face from my mind. He shouldn't care. I tried to only think of Draco, how much time we would be able to spend together when this was over…suddenly, I felt rash. It didn't matter anymore what I said, I was already going to be drugged, what would another comment matter?

"Is it a crime to have someone love you?" I asked quietly, without opening my eyes, and I heard Bollig shift, as if pleased to have another fight.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked with mock politeness.

"Brian didn't want to leave me. I wasn't going to force him to stay with people he didn't know. If that's a crime, then I'm guilty." I opened my eyes and locked in directly on his beady little eyes, not looking away, flinching, and not even blinking. We looked at each other a moment, until he coughed and looked away. Internally, I savored this tiny victory. Fuck him and his twisted truths.

"I believe that I am finished, Minister." Bollig said in an unusually quiet voice. He turned on his heel and walked away. As the Wizengamot left the room, the chains unwound, but I didn't stand up. I was utterly exhausted all of a sudden, feeling beaten down. I put my face in my hands as I heard who I knew was Draco vault over the bar and skid to a stop.

"Jenny," He said quietly, and I knew he was upset. I looked up, and his face confirmed it. Almost simultaneously, we grabbed each other, hugging tightly.

"God, I'm such an idiot…why did I do it? Why didn't I just shut up and-" I mumbled tearfully into his neck.

"Jenny, if you hadn't stood up for yourself and Brian's memory, I would have been worried about you. It will be ok, I promise. The Wizengamot has gone out to deliberate, and I know that they will go in your favor. I know it," He repeated firmly, almost to himself.

"What happens to me…if they find me guilty?" I asked quietly, and we pulled apart, but he took my hands with a hint of desperation.

"They won't-" He stopped as I just looked at him, then sighed. "You'd be sent to Azkaban, with all the Death Eaters that survived." He said quietly, and I stared at him in horror. I had heard enough about Azkaban to know that it was not a good place to be. I turned when I heard more footsteps, and found myself swept into a hug from Lupin, and I held him tighter than I had with Draco.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't…I'm sorry," I gasped finally when he set me down, past caring about the fact that tears were streaking down my face.

"It's almost over. You won't be under for long, they won't have time to give you the Draught of the Living Death, just other drugs." Lupin tried to say it reassuringly, but his voice cracked.

"They won't? I won't sleep for days?" I asked, and when he nodded, I put my face in my hands a moment, counted to ten, then wiped my face clean.

"It will all work out." I said firmly, and then turned to Dawlish and Williamson, who were standing there like idiots, watching us with open mouths. "I'm ready to leave." I said flatly, then turned and walked for the exit, holding my head as high as possible.

**What do you think, is Jenny innocent or guilty? **

**blackorchestrafreak**


	26. Slipped Away

Slipped Away

_Now you're gone_

_There you go _

_Somewhere I can't bring you back_

_Now you're gone _

_There you go _

_Somewhere you're not coming back_

Jenny

5/9/11

5:29 p.m.

The trip to St. Mungo's was deathly silent. Nobody said anything, even when all I did was swing into the hospital bed once more. Madam Pane was already there, looking like Professor McGonagall, with tight thin lips. I knew she was angry. "Here." She said brusquely, pushing a bottle into my hand, then went down to the end of the bed and strapped down my ankles. I suddenly felt the need to say something to my family, silently standing around, watching me with unfathomable eyes.

"I can't apologize enough, so should I even try?" I said quietly, and someone chuckled in the back.

"I think you should just drink. This will all be over before we even know it." Surprisingly, it was George who spoke. I raised my glass to him and drank, once again having to leave my fate out of my own hands. Lovely. The potion instantly sent me careening down a dark tunnel that was surprisingly comfy…

Draco

5/9/11

6:12 p.m.

Dawlish snatched a purple paper airplane out of thin air from the Ministry with a scowl on his face. He scanned it, then swore darkly under his breath and crumpled it. "No one is allowed in her room except for Healers. Bollig fed the Minister some bull-crap excuse." He explained tersely without having to be asked. Everyone exchanged looks, then silently filed out. I was the last to leave, gazing at Jenny a moment longer before letting Dawlish usher me out. We all stood awkwardly in the hallway. Nobody wanted to debate how the trial went, or what we thought the outcome was going to be. Slowly, I leaned against a wall, and then slid down it, undoing the high collar on my suit, then yanking the tie loose. "I'll come down when the Wizengamot is ready." Dawlish said awkwardly, and then strode away, running a hand through his hair, looking exhausted.

I don't know how long most of sat there, until the Weasley's went home, then the trio, and then Tonks was forced to go and get Teddy from her parent's house, leaving Lupin and I alone. Time passed on, and I knew that I dozed once and awhile, until I finally sat up straight as a tall Healer with a thick bushy beard came down the hall, carrying a bottle. He nodded silently to us before slipping inside her room. "More?" I asked darkly under my breath.

"Be thankful they aren't overdosing her like the last time." Lupin muttered just as darkly under his breath, rubbing his face.

Jenny

5/10/10

1:21 a.m.

The tunnel had ended awhile ago, and I was just dozing now. My brain turned fuzzy as the lights came up slightly, and a Healer came across the room, one I didn't recognize, but he had a bottle, so he must be here for me. He looked at me a moment, then turned and pointed his wand at the door, sending spikes of curiosity and warning into my sleepy brain, waking it up. "_Muffilato. Alohamora." _He said calmly, then came over starting to smile for some reason, making me even more nervous. "Jennifer Quinty, what an honor it's being to meet ya at last." He sniggered and tapped his wand on his face, and my face paled as George Eads swam into view.

"Someone-" I started to shout, but he flicked his wand and my voice died. He chuckled, twirling his wand in his fingers as he came and sat on the edge of my bed. I stiffened and moved as far away from him as possible.

"It's a pity you're such a beautie. You would have been a lot of…_fun._" He uncorked his bottle, pondering it for a moment as my brain sputtered pathetically as it tried to find an answer, a way out. "This is a potion from the pile I found in my Department. I also work for the Ministry…Dangerous Magical Waste Disposal. This un' was supposed to be destroyed…Merlin knows what it'll do to ya. Says somethin' about the in-between. Hmm." He looked at it a moment more, shrugged, then climbed on top of me as I thrashed against the restraints, trying to break them. He fixed one disgusting hand around my throat, holding my head still. "Bottom's up!" He chuckled, moving his hand to my chin, using brute strength to pry open my mouth. Desperate, I bit down hard on his thumb, and he sucked in a quick breath, then let it out. "Ya stupid little chit." He swore, then forced the potion down.

Draco

5/10/11

1:25 a.m.

I looked up from playing aimlessly with my tie to see another Healer coming briskly down the hall, bottle in hand. On closer inspection, I recognized Madam Pane. "Someone's already been here." I said flatly, going back to messing with my tie as she stopped for a moment, looking at us as if she wanted to say something.

"I'm sorry, what?" She asked with a slight sharpness to her voice.

"A Healer is already in there." I emphasized, letting some of my nerves edge out to ice over my words. Madam Pane frowned.

"Mr. Malfoy, you must be mistaken. I am the only approved Healer to administer medication to Ms. Quinty." Lupin raised his head with a sigh.

"Obviously not, because someone is in there. Tall guy, with a big beard." He said tiredly, and Madam Pane stared at him, then at me, then pulled out her wand slowly.

"No one like that works here. No one was supposed to be sent down here until now." She pulled on the knob, and the door didn't open. I scrambled to my feet as her words sunk in, drawing my wand. Lupin was already up, wand pointed at the door. "_Alohamora._" Madam Pane barked, and the knob clicked. She pushed the door open and I aimed from around her side. The man in there didn't resemble the 'Healer' at all, instead, George Eads was laughing, an empty bottle in his hand, watching Jenny, who's skin had turned a steely grey. She wasn't moving or breathing—

"_Stupefy!" _Lupin, Madam Pane and I shouted simultaneously, catching Eads in the face, shoulder and chest. He toppled instantly, and Madam Pane dashed inside, Lupin following, but I was stuck in the doorway, eyes locked on Jenny.

"Go get help, Draco! _GO!"_ Lupin shouted at me, waking me up. I tore my eyes away and dashed down the hall to the desk. Two nurses were finishing paper work, and a Healer was just approaching from another room as I slammed into the desk, somehow fighting for air.

"Sir, what is the problem?" The one nurse asked, sounding scandalized.

"The room-the room at the end of the hall," I gasped, trying to catch my breath. "A man we thought was a Healer went in, and then Madam Pane came, and we realized, and then, we went in, and-and-and he gave her something, I don't know what-" I ranted, but as soon as I finished, the Healer and the one nurse sprinted off down the hall as the other nurse went the opposite way, but returned quickly with three very buff looking men who I realized were security guards. They left, and I fell down in front of the desk, too emotional to think clearly. I knew she was dead, she hadn't been breathing, she was _grey_, after all she had sacrificed, and after all she had done-

"Mr. Malfoy?" I raised my head to find Dawlish standing over me, looking curious and concerned. "The Wizengamot is done deliberating…what's the matter, what's wrong?" He asked, seeing a nurse dash down the hall from Jenny's room and run away. He stared open mouthed as the three security guards carried George Eads away. Dawlish swiftly knelt to my height, shaking my shoulder. "Draco, what's happened?" He asked quickly, staring intensely at me, and only then did I realize I was crying for Jenny's new misfortune.

"George Eads…he must have Transfigured his appearance, because we thought he was a Healer, he looked just like one. He went into her room, we thought it was just more drugs…then Madam Pane came—said that she was the only one who was supposed to give her medicine…when we got the door open, he was there. He gave Jenny something…and," I choked and put my head on my knees. I heard him get up and run down the hall. After a moment, I staggered to my feet and after him. I stood in the doorway, watching Dawlish ask Lupin questions. Lupin was sitting on the extra bed, head in his hands. Healers were in a flurry of activity, flying around her bed so fast, I couldn't even see her. I stumbled in the rest of the way to stand a few feet from Lupin and Dawlish.

"She's not dead, not yet, anyway. They're trying to figure out what he put in her." I heard Lupin say, and my knees almost buckled in relief. I backed into the other bed and sat heavily down, absolutely defeated. I couldn't do it anymore, I had failed at protecting her, I had failed her in so many ways.

"I'll send a message down to the court." Dawlish was saying, and he quickly produced a parrot-shaped Patronus that flew speedily away. Then he paused for a second, slowly running a hand through his hair, looking angry at himself. "How did this happen?" He asked almost silently, watching the Healers. Lupin laughed bitterly.

"_Why_ did this happen, Dawlish? Why?" He snapped, punching the palm of his hand with unusual vigor. "Why would _anyone_ want to…attack my daughter?" He mumbled the last part and stopped punching his hand; his fist fell apart. A gazelle Patronus pranced into the room and spoke in the Minister's voice.

"Dawlish, get down here and explain what the hell is going on." He barked, and the Patronus dissolved into mist. With a sigh, Dawlish stood up.

"I'll be back." He said sadly, then turned and left the room. After a second, I bolted up and followed him. "Mr. Malfoy-?" Dawlish started, but I talked over him.

"I have to know—" I swallowed. "If-if she's innocent. I have to know." He looked at me, then nodded. I fell into step beside him and neither of us spoke the whole way there. I knew he was looking at me from time to time, but I only looked straight ahead, hoping that Jenny was still with us. After everything that had happened she couldn't be killed, not now. Dawlish pushed open the door to the courtroom and we quickly crossed the floor. Almost instantly, cameras flashed, they thought we were Jenny.

"Back off, she's not here!" Dawlish yelled, and the cameras stopped. He looked up at the Minister, the Wizengamot, Madam Bones. Bollig was sitting on his side of the bar, looking incredibly pleased for some reason.

"Then, _where_ is the defendant, Auror Dawlish? Your Patronus said something about an accident." The Minister huffed, sounding annoyed. His lack of any caring emotion made my blood boil, but I stayed quiet. Dawlish took a deep breath.

"A man disguised himself as a Healer in St. Mungo's and got access to Miss Quinty's room. He gave her some sort of potion, we don't know what it is- and she's…incapacitated. This was a hate crime." Dawlish ended fiercely.

"Who was the intruder?" Madam Bones asked after a moment of silence.

"George Eads, Department of Dangerous Magical Waste Disposal." Dawlish said bitterly, and all heads turned to Bollig, whose smug look had fallen right off his face. "He stole a concoction that was meant to be incinerated. This is your fault," He snarled at Bollig, who looked at him in surprise.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked, and he actually sounded not-evil for a second.

"If you hadn't ranted about how angry and crazy she was, she wouldn't have had to be drugged in the first place! Imagine, she couldn't fight back, she was probably half asleep-" Dawlish sputtered until Madam Bones raised a hand as the Wizengamot muttered behind her, sounding just as worked up.

"Let's not point fingers, Auror Dawlish, until we have all the facts. Where is Mr. Eads presently?" She tried to ask it calmly, but even I could tell that she was upset.

"St. Mungo's security has him locked in a room at St. Mungo's, awaiting transportation to the Ministry." Dawlish snapped. "This _never_ should have happened."

"Launch an investigation, use Williamson to help you. We'll find out how this happened. As for you," The Minister looked at Bollig, "as of now, you are suspended from all court activity until you are cleared in this investigation." He said, and Bollig's face turned ugly fast. "And why are _you_ here?" He asked, and it took me a second to realize he was talking to me. I glared up at him, resuming the Malfoy cold demeanor.

"I'm here to find out the verdict of the Wizengamot." I said curtly. The Minister opened his mouth to say something, but Madam Bones spoke.

"What is on your neck?" She asked, and I lifted a hand, expecting to touch the stiff collar that hid the bite, and touched skin. "Is that a _bite mark?"_ She leaned forward on her podium as I hastily buttoned back up my collar.

"Of course not," I said haughtily, and she narrowed her eyes at me.

"Well, Wizengamot? What is your verdict?" Dawlish snapped, changing the subject after glancing at me for a moment. The old woman in the back stood up and I felt my stomach clench, and my fingers slipped off of my tie, which I had been hastily tightening again.

"We the Wizengamot find Jennifer Lillian Quinty _not_ guilty on all charges." She said with a small smile, but her words were already fading away in my head.

_Not guilty._

_Innocent._


	27. The World Is A Ghetto

The World Is A Ghetto

_Walkin' down the street, smoggy-eyed_

_Looking at the sky, starry-eyed_

_Searchin' for the place, weary-eyed_

_Crying in the night, teary-eyed_

Draco

5/10/10

1:34 a.m.

Dawlish breathed out sharply at the verdict, his hands slowly turning to fists. "Thank you, Wizengamot, for seeing the truth. It's only a pity that it doesn't matter anymore." He turned on his heel and started to leave. "Mr. Malfoy," he called harshly, breaking me out of my trance, and I quickly turned and followed him. Trying to think of something to say, I had to almost jog to keep up with him as he stalked down the hallway, his face an ugly color, muttering under his breath. I still hadn't thought of anything to say by the time we reached St. Mungo's. I ended up meekly following him back to her room. I stopped just outside, suddenly feeling guilty. What if she had died while I was gone? After a moment, I smoothed my face over and went inside. The room was strangely empty; the Healers gone. Lupin was looking at Dawlish as he seemed to swell and swell.

"What happened?" He asked hoarsely, and when Dawlish didn't answer, he looked at me.

"The Wizengamot found her innocent on all charges." I didn't realize I had spoken until after I had finished my sentence. Color rushed into Lupin's face, and he just stared at me for a moment, before looking at Jenny.

"A whole shit-load of good it did," Dawlish spat, and Lupin glared at him.

"Excuse me?" He asked, and he suddenly sounded more sinister than I thought he could ever sound. "Are you implying that Jenny shouldn't have been cleared?"

"No, I'm saying it came too fucking late, that's what I'm saying. Look at her," Dawlish growled, gesturing towards her general direction. "All of her sacrifice for _nothing._" Lupin gaped at him, and then looked at Jenny and his face fell into misery that I had come to recognize on his face more often than usual.

"The sad thing is that she was used to it." He looked up to see my face and hastily spoke up again. "She's not dead…but they don't know what's happening to her. It's not quite a coma, and she's not asleep. Williamson was sent to the Department of Dangerous Magical Waste Disposal to try to find the origin of the bottle. The bottle itself is being tested." His words settled on me like a suffocating blanket until I couldn't take it anymore. I turned around and left, walking down the ward hallway, past the desk and out the visitors entrance. It was early, no Muggles or wizards where around in the coolness of the morning. Unsure of where I was going, or when I would go back, I just started walking down the street, staring aimlessly ahead of me. The smog from the Muggle's vehicles hung in the air, blocking out most of the stars. Eyes smarting, I jolted to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk. First, tears poured down my face; I was drowning in anguish. Jenny would probably never wake up, and then where would I be? She was everything to me, the reason why I was even here. After all of the tension and worry, it was over so abruptly just so that another round could begin.

Then, I was furious at her. It was always about _Jenny_, wasn't it? The stupid bitch was always getting hurt, always in trouble, always being so fucking _noble_ and brave. What the hell was wrong with her anyway? It's not like she was obligated or anything.

Seconds later, it was guilt that rooted me to the spot, then a rush of nostalgia. I shouldn't have been angry with Jenny. Nothing me or anyone else could do would stop her when she got started, she was so damn stubborn. But then she was smart, funny, sarcastic…_beautiful. _She was always being so noble because she never once thought of herself or even her own safety. She had always said that we had a love-hate relationship, and she had been right. Funny how annoying that was. With a sigh, I turned back around and went back into St. Mungo's, somehow feeling better after silently and verbally abusing Jenny. It made me feel sick that I would, but I couldn't deny that it made me feel better. And if my father were here, he would say, "That's what love is, son. Bitter hate one moment, then passion the next."

"Are you alright?" I asked Lupin quietly from the doorway to Jenny's room, and he leapt up in fright. He mumbled something along the lines of, 'the damn Malfoy boy always being so quiet,' but nodded, rubbing his face. "You should sleep," I added, crossing the room and conjuring a chair next to Jenny with a sigh. It seemed like next to her bedside was where I always was at the end of the day.

"I know," Lupin muttered, getting up and stretching. "But I have to tell everyone what's happened, if they don't know already. This is going to kill Tonks." With a sigh, Lupin walked out of the room, leaving me alone with Jenny. If her lips weren't a pale blue, I would have said that she was asleep.

"Where the hell are you, Jenny?" I asked rhetorically, playing with one of her hands. I had never noticed how _big_ they were, with long thin fingers. "Because everything is falling apart here…and I hate to say it…but it's your fault." A minute later, I looked up as I heard feet running down the hall. Tonks appeared in the doorway, looking very white, leaning on the doorframe. Without a sound, she tripped lightly into the room and walked over as if she was in a trance. "At least she's free," I told her as Tonks started to cry. She ignored me, turned and walked back out of the room. As the morning wore on, the usual suspects were back-the Weasley's, the trio, Order members…but what really surprised me is that my parents showed up, out of hiding.

Around 7, Dawlish and Williamson came back, hushing our quiet chatter instantly. Williamson cleared his throat awkwardly. "So, um, I was digging in the Department of Dangerous Magical Waste Disposal…the potion given to Jenny was created by a woman named Sandy Wallace. She was a witch who used to sell 'miracle' potions in Diagon Alley before she was arrested for killing a costumer with her product. Her potions promised anything, from turning back time to turning your enemy into a dragon. Her potions were confiscated and stored in the Department of Mysteries for awhile, then were supposed to be destroyed."

"Is this Sandy Wallace still alive?" Harry asked.

"No, she's dead." Dawlish said flatly, and right away I knew he was still angry about this whole situation.

"The potion was analyzed and it's supposed to take you to 'The Realms', a place in-between death and life, a mutual area where both the living and the dead could go. Of course, none of these potions ever worked, so we don't know if that is where Jenny is, or if her body is reacting to the ingredients in the potion. I'm sorry we can't tell you more, but we don't even know what's going on. But we're working on it. This is now an ongoing Ministry investigation." Williamson ended sheepishly, then slipped out the door, Dawlish following.

"This sounds like a whole bunch of shit to me." George said, and got a glare from Mrs. Weasley. "A magic freaking potion that takes you to some stupid 'realm?' Yeah, right." He scoffed moodily.

"I wouldn't be so sure. Magic can do a lot more than we even understand." Hermione said in her know-it-all kind of way.

"I don't care about how real it seems. It's obviously somewhat real, I mean, _look_ at her. All I want to know is how and what they are going to do to fix this." Tonks said curtly, bouncing Teddy on her hip, whose hair was the color of peaches.

"Why don't they go to who is directly responsible? This is Bollig's fault if you ask me. _He_ asked for Jenny to be asleep for the whole thing, it's _his_ witness…I mean come on, put the pieces together." Ron said gloomily. Percy barked a laugh.

"If only it was that simple. Even if Bollig _was_ responsible, he's the most influential and powerful Auror employed at the Ministry. No offense, Tonks." He added, and Tonks chuckled weakly, smoothing the hair on Teddy's head.

"Well, I know one thing, Jenny wouldn't want you all standing around waiting. Go home and rebuild your lives." Lupin said, and he was met with an uproar of protests. Ignoring everyone, I looked back at Jenny's face. It was too still, too reserved. It was like a death face.

Jenny

I was hanging in space, suspended. Everything wasn't quite black, but a dark green with a constantly changing pattern as if there was a sun. All I could here was a whistling, as if I was driving down a highway. When I inhaled, it smelled minty all around. Suddenly, I was hitting ground hard, rolling over and over until I finally stopped, resting on what felt like tree roots. After a moment, I stood up and looked around, my jaw dropping in surprise. I was in a dark forest, a few feet away from a _cottage._ Then I remembered what had happened, and I whirled on the spot, listening hard for any signs of life. After listening for a good ten minutes, I hesitantly approached the cottage. It didn't seem right, that I would drink something and suddenly appear in a forest. Everything had a dream-like quality. The colors were incredibly bold and deep, and when I looked straight up, the sky was red, like the door of this quaint little cottage.

Steeling myself, I knocked. A moment later, I heard a peep-hole slide back, and one deep blue eye glared at me. "What?" A trilling and musical voice snapped. Taken a back, I only looked at the eye a moment.

"I-I'm sorry, but…where are we?" I asked, and she sighed, swinging open the door and closing it behind her, staying near it, as if to dive back inside.

"I've done this too many times to sugar coat it, so let me explain. You are dead. This is the land where the dead can stay, or they can move on further to the true land of the dead. It's basically a realm." She said impatiently as I gasped, and a hand instantly snaked up to check for a pulse. I had been expecting the worst, but my pulse was still there and I frowned at almost the same time as the woman. She reminded me of a gypsy, with the large nose, one big mole—tanned, wrinkly skin.

"I still have a pulse." I said quietly, placing a hand on my chest just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I jerked in surprise, ready to punch in the woman's face when she seized one of my wrists and pressed her fingers against it. Her nails scraped at my skin, they were long and yellowed, and had plenty of dirt underneath them. Luckily, she let go almost instantly.

"It worked," she breathed, staring at me as if I was a priceless artifact. "After all my work, going crazy for the cause…it _worked._" She seized my arm and started to pull me towards her house, but I instantly broke her hold and raised a hand to strike. "No! Listen closely," she intoned, backing up to avoid my hand then leaning in as if she was telling some juicy gossip. "This place is no longer safe for you until you understand it. Come inside, I will explain." I looked at her long and hard for a moment, then followed her inside her cottage.

**What makes the Realm so unsafe? Who is this gypsy lady? Can Jenny ever get back? Check out the final story in this trilogy, Inbewteen.**


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